316 
northern Africa, including Egypt; in Palestine and Asia Minor; 
Mesopotamia and Afghanistan : eastwards, it has been procured 
in China, at least as far south as Amoy, and in Japan. North- 
wards, Radde met with a single example in Tareinor, and Pallas 
gives it asa visitant to all parts of Siberia, but this seems 
doubtful. In India, it is to be found in suitable localities, such 
as its trivial name indicates, throughout the length and breadth 
of the land; Layard notices its occurrence in Ceylon, and it is 
not uncommon in British Burmah, but it does not appear to 
extend to the Malay Peninsular or the Archipelego, in which 
latter C. Jardini seems to replace it. 
No. 55. Haliastur Indus.* Bopp. 
Tur Brauminy Kir, 
The Brahminy Kite lays in March, the latter half of Febru- 
ary, or the early part of April, according to season and locality. 
Like many other species, it breeds earlier in Lower Bengal than 
* Haliastur Indus.—Young female, (about 5 months old). 
Druensions.—Length, 19 ; Expanse, 57 ; Wing, 15; Tarsus, 2; Tail, 7°5 ; 
Mid toe, 1°35 ; its claw, 0°7 ; Hind toe, 0°75; its claw, 0°72 ; Inner toe, 0°7 ; 
its claw, 0°7; Bill, straight, from edge of cere to point, 0°9; from gape, 1°4; 
width at gape, 1; height at front, at margin of cere, 0°5 ; Length of cere, on 
culmen, 0°46. The 4th primary the longest; the 1st 4°3, the 2nd 1°4, and 
the 3rd 0:2 shorter. ‘The wings when closed reach to 0°5 beyond end of tail. 
The exterior tail feathers fall short by O°'7 of the central tail feathers ; the 
lower tail coverts reach to within 3 inches of end of tail. 
Description.—Bill and cere horny blackish brown. Legs and feet, light 
greenish yellow. Ivrides, brown. 
Plumage.—the forehead whitish, the feathers dark shafted; a dark brown 
streak, commencing at the anterior angle of the eye and running backwards 
over the eye to the top of the ear coverts; chin and throat with the cheeks 
fulvous white, the shafts brown. The ear coverts pale brown. Feathers of 
the top of the head, nape, and back of the neck, slightly reddish brown, mar- 
gined with pale whity brown, and the shafts dark brown. Upper back and 
scapulars umber brown, many of the feathers paler and abraded at_the tips. 
Rump umber brown, some of the feathers faintly tipped rufous. Upper tail 
coverts similarly but not conspicuously tipped with ferruginous towards the 
tip. Tail brown, all the feathers tipped narrowly with whitey brown, the 
brown, greyish in patches, and all the feathers marginally tinged with ferrugi- 
nous towards their bases, on the outer webs. First 6 primaries brownish 
black, with more or less of rufous white or grey on the inner webs towards 
the bases, the rest of the quills darker or lighter umber brown, narrowly 
tipped with fulvous white, and the outer webs of the last few primaries much 
tinged with pale chesnut, and with a good deal of the inner webs, towards 
the base, of the same colour. ‘The tertiaries a paler brown. The greater pri- 
mary coverts and winglet deep brown, tipped with reddish white and strongly 
