igiS.] Nidification of some Indian Falconitlfs. 65 



to familiarity on tlioir part^ and treated the few frigliteued 

 advances made with the utmost contempt. He really did not 

 appear to know what fear meant ; to me and my servants 

 he was merely condescending ; while we pampered him he 

 accepted what we had to offer, but if he did not approve 

 he bit us, solemnly, though hard, and hissed his annoy- 

 ance at us in the worst of bird-language. As a rule, he was 

 an extreme little dandy, with the glossiest of black and the 

 snowiest of white plumage, all kept very tight and close. 

 When annoyed, however, he hunched his shoulders up, 

 dropped his head low with opened beak, and sat with, 

 slightly extended wings and ruffled plumage to express his 

 anger. 



I imagine that on the whole insects form the greater part 

 of these Falcons' food, especially during the season when the 

 white-ant or termite is in flight, when all insectivorous birds 

 gorge on them. At the same time they attack and eat birds, 

 reptiles, small mammals, such as mice and bats, many of 

 which far exceed themselves in weight and size. The tamed 

 bird referred to above was caught because his feet had become 

 entangled in the breast-feathers of a Scimitar Babbler, which 

 was so heavy that he could not lift it, and all he could do 

 was to scream his rage at a native who captured him in his 

 puggree. 



It is most interesting to watch Pigmy Falcons pursuing 

 termites, and Dr. Coltart and I found them to be far 

 more accurate and quick in catching them than any other 

 bird we had an opportunity of watching. We often saw 

 Rollers, various kinds of King-Crows, Flycatchers, Mynas, 

 Bee-eaters, Kites, and other birds hawking all together over 

 a flight, but none were nearly so expert as little Microhierax. 

 Their movements on the wing were very like those of 

 Artamus fuscus, the Swallow-Shrike, in whose company 

 we frequently found them, but they were quicker, and their 

 actions of course were aquiline, i. e., they seized the termites 

 in their feet and not with their bills. It was rather remark- 

 able to find that all quarrelling and all signs of fear of the 

 small birds for the birds- of-prey, more especially for the 



SEK. X. VOL. VI. p 



