136 
ealled, the Khand Besra, but no one can ever get it, it is a perfect 
Mrs. Harris amongst birds, and I myself greatly incline to Betsy 
Prig’s belief that “ there never was no sich” bird “ at all.”—To 
return, Mr. Blyth commenting on Dr. Jerdon’s work remarked, 
that the Khandesra Hawk was “ probably A. Wisoides, nobis (J. 
A.S. B. 1845, XVI. p. 727, X XI. p. 359; ex Sumatra. A. Frin- 
gillarius, var. Vigors, appendix to memoir of Sir TI. 8. Raffles, 
p. 549 and A. Gu/aris, Schlegel, Faun. Japon, Aves. 1850, t. 2.) 
Professor Schlegel mentions a specimen of NV. Gularis from 
Nepal. Dr. Jerdon writes that A. Nisoides is not rare in the 
interior of the Himalaya; but two examples received from him 
possibly intended for this (though I can hardly comprehend his 
making such a mistake) are decidedly A. Virgatus. In the 
report on Japanese ornithology accompanying the narrative of 
Commodore Perry’s expedition, it is stated of A. Gudaris, that the 
young bird is darker above than represented in the figure of the 
adult male, in the plate in ‘ Mauna Japonica and has the 
transverse bars on the under parts, much less regular and light- 
er coloured than in the figure of the female in the same plate.” 
Dr. Jerdon had clearly got hold of A. Virgatus. Imuch 
suspect the expedition had got hold of another form of this pro- 
tean species, similar to the nearly adult male that I have above 
described. 
My friend, Mr. R. Thompson, sent me an interesting note 
about this supposed species, which I reproduce as showing that 
possibly, the same birds in different stages of plumage and at 
different ages may affect different localities, and even appear to 
fly more or less briskly. 
“‘T have observed what I believe to be another species or 
variety of the Accipiter Virgatus. Ihave had the dark plumag- 
ed one and trained it: but the ight plumaged one is a larger 
bird with the tarsi less smooth, more robust, and toes shorter 
than the true Besra. I have got some specimens and would 
like you to look them up. I believe it is the Khandbesra men- 
tioned in Jerdon, page 54, Vol. I. I have met the dark plumag- 
ed ones, male and female, usually on the skirts of dense forests, 
and observed their flight which is more feeble, with a broader 
and more ample expanse of wing, than the lighter coloured 
variety, which is met with in lofty dense forests and has a flight 
similar to the Shikra. That is, with sudden and rapid_ stoops, 
with an active manner of sitting suddenly in a tree when you 
expected the bird to shoot past it. Its motions im the tree are 
restless, jerking from branch to branch. Sometimes I have 
found them very timid, at others quite bold, and will let you ap- 
proach within a few paces.”’ 
