42 Major J. Biddulpli on the Birds of Gilgit. 



weeksj in the vicinity of a small marsh ; but it was so wary 

 that for a long time I failed to get a shot at it. It proved to 

 be a male in almost adult plumage. Its stomach was full of 

 a watery fluid, and contained a number of small wireworms 

 about two inches long ; and the bird was extremely fat. This 

 was in March. I have once or twice fancied that I have 

 identified the bird at other times in winter ; but it is certainly 

 not common. 



17. BuTEo FEROX (Gmcl.). 



Extremely common in the main valley in winter. In the 

 summer it ascends to the higher valleys, and breeds appa- 

 rently at about 10,000 feet. All specimens, both of this 

 Buzzard and B, plumipes, shot during the winter had large 

 balls of a hard gummy substance firmly attached to their 

 claws, which must considerably interfere with their grasping 

 their prey. 



18. Btjteo plumipes, Hodgs. 



A winter visitant, not very common ; three specimens were 

 shot about January. 



A male, in early adult plumage, corresponds fairly with the 

 description in Sharpens Catalogue (i, p. 181) ; but on the breast 

 the feathers entirely lack the black shaft-stripe, the shaft 

 being black only; each feather on the chest is dark rufous 

 with a bluish tinge, and with a paler and brighter margin. 

 On the upper surface the dark purplish gloss is confined to 

 the mantle. Expanse 49-5 inches, length 20-3, wing 15-7, 

 tail 9-4, tarsus 2-6, bill at gape 1-55. Weight 1 lb. 10 oz. 



None of the specimens observed or obtained were in the 

 dark ferruginous plumage figured in Sharpc's Catalogue 

 (vol. i.) ; all were of the " B.JaponicKs" type. 



19. Circus cyaneus (Linn.) . 



Single birds seen at intervals during the winter. In March 

 it becomes more common, and disappears in the beginning of 

 May. One adult female, killed while carrying ofi" a chicken, 

 measured — length 21"5 inches, wing 15-5, tail 10*75, tarsus 3 ; 

 cere yellow, legs bright yellow. One male in immature 



