175 
During the latter part of 1868, great scarcity prevailed in 
Hansie and the whole neighbouring country, owing to the 
failure of the rains. Fodder, especially, was unprocurable, and 
throughout vast tracts, all the Babool, Ber, and Peepul trees 
were entirely denuded of their foliage, in order to feed the 
cattle. The result has been that A. Fulvescens has entirely 
deserted the neighbourhood, and where in 1868, with but little 
trouble Mr. Blewitt met with scores of nests, he has this year 
only succeeded in finding two ! 
My friend, Mr. G. F. L. Marshall, R. E., writing of this 
species, says, “ Very common in the Saharunpoor District. Is 
said to catch fish by all the natives; but I do not believe it. 
The native name is Machopa, or Machoka. It builds on trees, 
a nest of sticks, and lays two white eggs, sometimes pure, 
sometimes blotched with dusky and brownish. It commences 
building in the end of March, but the eggs are not laid, till the 
end of May; and I have taken fresh eggs up to the middle of 
June, and at Shamlee, in the Mozuffernugger District, I took 
five nests early in June, all with fresh eggs.” 
It is a curious fact, that in many parts of the country, the 
natives believe that the “ Rugguwr,”’ as they usually designate 
it, catches fish. I have examined the stomachs of probably 
some fifty specimens, but though I have often found them full 
of small frogs, I have never detected any remains of fish. 
Most birds when they have eggs, even before they begin 
to sit, watch their nests closely. I have, however, repeatedly 
found nests of this Hagle, containing one or more eggs, with no 
parent bird any where near. I have several notes of this, I 
quote one. 
“On the Western Jumna Canal, near Hissar, on the 15th 
December, I found a large nest on the top of a Babool tree. 
The nest seemed rather fresh and therefore, though there was 
no bird near, [ sent up a man to examine it. It proved to 
contain two large eggs. Whilst the man was near the nest, no 
bird made its appearance, only after we had waited about a 
quarter of an hour, a large Fu/vescens in dark plumage, soared 
slowly past, at a great height over head. This was about 
2 o’clock in the afternoon. We did not touch the eggs, called 
the man down, and withdrew to watch the nest; hiding 
ourselves carefully some little distance off. It was not till the 
sun was setting that this same Fwlvescens suddenly made its 
appearance, and descended to the nest, where it was shot. It 
was a female, and from first to last, we saw nothing of the 
male.” 
The plumage of the young is very pale. I find a note of one 
