( 59 ) 



short powerful ones. It is a small bird about fourteen inches in 

 length. The adult's upper plumage is a slaty-grey, under parts 

 rufoui barred with white, the young birds are brown above^ the 

 under parts white streaked with brown. 



'jhey are fairly common, and at times very noisy, their loud 

 plaintive cries being often heard in the Rangoon cantonments. 

 They are very courageous for their size, and are sometimes trained 

 in India for hawking crows. 



(No. 1244. Astur badius.) 



THE FALCONS 



May at once be distinguished from the Hawks, by their longer 

 and more pointed wings, though they have a notched or toothed bill. 

 They are famous for their courage and were in great request when 

 falconry was a favourite sport. They were in consequence better 

 known than the other kinds of birds and different names were given 

 to either sex according to age. They are, with few exceptions, 

 migratory birds, only visiting us in the cold weather. 



The Peregrine Falcon is perhaps the most noticeable as it 

 seems to accompany the ducks southwards from their breeding 

 haunts. 



The Shahin is another grand bird, which is the eastern represen- 

 tative of the last, and is more or less locally distributed. A pair 

 usek to breed on the crags at Taunggji in the Shan States. 



The Kestrel is another winter visitor, atid is the same as the 

 English bird. It may often be seen hovering in the same way as 

 at home. 



The Pigmy Falcons are miniature falcons about the size of a 

 swallow, and live chiefly on insects, which they capture on the wing 

 in their talons. They however differ from the true falcons in their 

 nesting habits, for, instead cf building nests, and laying eggs richly 

 marked with red, they nest in holes of trees and lay white eggs. 



THE 06PREY 



Differs from all other birds of prey in having its outer toes 

 reversible. It is a large handsome brown bird, with head and 

 under parts white, and is generally to be seen during the cold weather 

 near most large expanses of water. It lives entirely on fish which 

 it captures by plunging into the water from a good height, seizing 

 them with its powerful feet. It is only a winter visitor, returning 

 to northern climes for breeding purposes. 



It is perhaps needless to say that, fortunately for them, they do 

 not supply the so-called plumes, which are the nuptial garments of 

 the small v/hite egrets or paddy-birds. 



(No. 1 189. Pandion haliaetus.) 



