118 
M. Badius, Brachydactylus, Sphenurus, are said by Bree to be 
very close to each other. Length of wing and tail; length and 
thickness of tarsus ; and length of mid toe, and proportions of 
primaries are what chiefly assist in discriminating these nearly 
allied species. Plumage, owing to its extreme variability in this 
family, going for little. I have recorded carefully the measure- 
ments of ten males and ten females of this species, and subjoin 
the result which may be useful for comparison with those of 
nearly allied races. 
Wing F. 7:9 to 8:3; M. 6:8 to 7:3. Tail F. 6°8 to 7-2; M. 55 
to 5:9. Tarsus F. 1:9 to 2:0; M.1°8 to 1:9; mid toe to root of 
claw F. 1:25 to 1-4; M. 1:06 to 1:15. Circumference of tarsus, 
at middle F. 0°65 to 0°73; M. 0°6 to 0°65; 
2 
1st primary shorter than the 4th by F. 2°5 to 2°7 M. 2°88 to 2°55 
2nd do. do. F. 0-9 to 1:0 M. 0°84 to 0°9 
ord do. do. F. 0°12t00°25M. 0:05 to 0°15 
5th do. do. F. 0:2to 0:25 M. 0°12 to 0°15 
In reading remarks in regard to the various species of Acci- 
piters, I often see stress laid on the absence or presence of bars 
on central, or outer feathers, and on the showing through or the 
contrary, of these bars, on the under surfaces, especially of the 
outer feathers. This class of characters appears to me of but 
little value, depending, as I believe them to do, mainly upon 
age. I have kept numbers of M. Badius for years at a time, 
rearing them from the nest, and from the following notes drawn 
up, when I had peculiar opportunities of watching the changes, 
it will be seen, that in this species at any rate, the presence or 
absence of bars on any part of the tail, is simply worthless as a 
specific character. 
The young Shikras have (with the subnoted exception) ad/ 
the tail feathers barred on both webs, with normally six bars in 
the female, and five in the male (though this difference is not 
invariable) including one near the base, hidden by the upper 
tail coverts, always feeble and sometimes wanting. The outer 
web, of the outer feather, on each side, commonly (even in very 
young birds) shows only a terminal and none of the other bars. 
At this stage, the bars show through on the under surface of 
all the feathers. 
Even in the quite young birds, the bars on the inner webs of the 
outer feathers, are less than half the breadth of those on the 
other feathers, and are not unfrequently much more numerous. 
As they get older, the birds begin to lose all but the terminal 
bar on the centre tail feathers, the other bars turn into spots ; 
then these disappear and only lighter and darker alternate patches 
