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not, as he seems to think, confine its attacks to small birds. I 
have frequently seen it take Mynas, Starlings, Quails, and the 
smaller Doves. I once saw one strike a Pigeon, killing it on the 
spot, with the first blow. I have trained this species to be 
thrown from the hand, at Quails, and Partridges. The bird 
readily learns the lesson, and makes a good bag. The Quail, 
or Partridge is allowed a good start, the Toorumtee being held 
up, so as to eye the receding bird, and then thrown in the di- 
rection of the latter, with some force, shooting off at once, more 
like a dart than anything else, at the quarry, which it rarely 
misses. I have been told, that this bird affords peculiar sport, 
with Turtur Suratensis, striking at the quarry, several times, and 
even often losing it altogether, owing partly to the softness of 
the Dove’s feathers, which give way at the least touch, and part- 
ly toits rapid dodging flight.”’ 
I remember once, after robbing a nest of this species, to have 
seen the parent birds fall foul of all the Crows in the neighbour- 
hood, in the most surprising manner ; the strangest thing being, 
that the Crows submitted very tamely, (only seeking refuge in 
flight) to the most vindictive buffets from the little Falcons. Mr. 
Brookes tells me that ona similar occasion, he witnessed a 
similar scene. Whether the Toorumtees conceived that the 
Crows, whose egg-stealing propensities all birds seem well aware 
of, had some hand in the robbery of their penates, or whether 
being afraid to attack us, they, on the Hindustani principle of 
“ Koomhar pur bus na chulla, gudhe ka kan ametha,’* flew at 
the Crows whom they did feel equal to thrashing, I cannot pre- 
tend to decide. I have twice found portions of a Squirrel in the 
stomachs of these birds. 
Mr. Gurney has the following note in the Ibis for 1868, on 
the nearly allied Chequera Rufficollis (Swains) of South Africa. 
“Vierthaler, who met with this species, somewhat plentifully, 
in Sennaar, states, (Wannannia, 1852, Pt. IL. pp. 48, 49) that it 
usually perches, and always breeds on the Dhelleb Dolleb, or 
Debbel Palm, (Borassus ethiopicus) and Dr. von Heughlin, 
who also observed this Falcon on the upper part of the Blue 
Nile, refers to its preference for this tree. (Ibis, 1860, p. 409.) 
Both Vierthaler (Joe. cit.) and his companion, Dr. A. EK. Brehm 
(J. I. C. 1858, p. 408,) remark, that Colwmba Guinea algo 
selects the same species of Palm for its nest, and that a pair of 
* This proverb is a very characteristic Indian one, it means—* He was 
not man enough to punch the potter’s head, so contented himself with wrench- 
ing the ear of the potter’s donkey ;” a true picture of the manner in which 
natives so often revenge themselves on the helpless dependents of enemies 
they are afraid to attack. 
