Birds of Lucknow. 77 



they never stoop at them. Teal and Duck of all sorts they 

 harry, and Coots they drive into a perfect frenzy, though I 

 have never seen them strike home. Possibly this is because, 

 if a bird be killed or wounded, one of these Harriers 

 immediately bears it off to some elevated ridge or bank, and 

 devours it before the eyes of its disconsolate brethren. 



No. 1239. -""Butko ferox. Long-legged Buzzard. 



A winter visitor to Lucknow, and, I think, rare. In the 

 Museum are four examples shot by myself, the Collector, and 

 Keid, though the last-named did not include the species in 

 his "List/' I have also seen one or two specimens which I. 

 could not procure. All that I have observed were on more 

 or less cultivated maidaus interspersed with babool-junHe. 



No. 1241. Buteo dkskrtohum. Common Buzzard. 

 A winter visitor and by no means common. Appears 

 chiefly to affect ravines and dhak-jungle. 



No. 1244. Astuk badius. Shikra. 

 Shikra [H.]. Sparrow-Hawk [Martiniere boys],' 

 This is our commonest Hawk, and is to be found in almost 

 every part of the district. It is by no means a shy bird, 

 and, like the Tawny Eagle, builds its nest in the Station close 

 to human dwellings. I have found several, but, until last 

 season, 1 had bad luck as regards eggs. Both this bird and 

 Aquila vindhiana seem to desert them on the slightest pretext . 

 The nest is a rough structure of sticks high up in some tree— 

 the mango in nine cases out of ten— and the t^s, skim-milk f 

 in colour and usually three in number, are laid from the end 

 of March to the middle of May. 



Average <>f 23 Lucknow eggs 1*53" x 1 •°°" 



Measurement of largesl egg L*02"xl , 25" 



» amalleotegg l'42"xl-J8" 



The Shikra is much prized by those natives who still 

 indulge in falconry. The Hawk is thrown from the hand at 

 Mynas, Quails, Larks, and such small fry. Reid on one 



t I took one clutch slightly marked with large faint bletchks 1 f 

 brownish yellow. 



