352 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



and feet. They are more of a pale whitish-yellow. Does not 

 this indicate youth ? But the feathers are well worn, especially 

 the ends of the tail-feathers. 



A. ncevia, though only a cold-weather visitant here, breeds at 

 this side of the Himalayahs in the Saharunpore district, as a cor- 

 respondent of Mr. Hume's informs him ; and he has received the 

 egg (a finely blotched and spotted one) thence. In the crops 

 of all those we examined we only found frogs. This is perhaps 

 the reason why the bird is so seldom seen except where water is 

 plentiful. The bird is frequently seen seated among the half- 

 submerged grass, where it watches for its prey, much as a Heron 

 would. The bills and claws of those I shot were often covered 

 with mud, and their crops could hardly have held another frog. 



My last remark is that I have a skin of Milvus govinda, or 

 what I take to be that species, with the lower parts dark brown, 

 each feather having a very light brownish-white central stripe. 

 This gives my Kite as distinct a striped appearance as is shown 

 in the second specimen of the Imperial Eagle, described above. 

 This example is the only striped Kite I have seen ; but I should 

 add I have not shot many of these useful birds. I once saw 

 one kill a cobra, which it did by tearing up the top of the head, 

 eyes included. Since that I have respected M. govinda. We 

 have some extremely large Kites here. Can they be the same 

 species ? The plumage is the same; but the size varies, like that 

 of Aquila fulvescens before mentioned. 



I have now said sufficient on this subject ; and if any one 

 of your contributors will take it up, and clear up everything 

 connected with changes of plumage in the true Eagles, I shall 

 be very glad indeed. A short and accurate description of the 

 different large Falcons would also be very useful. I mean the 

 Peregrines and Lanners especially, showing in each the distin- 

 guishing characteristics. The young plumage of each requires 

 particular description, as I believe they much resemble each 

 other, Falco juggur excepted, which is quite a dark-brown bird. 



I remain, &c., 



W. E. Brooks. 



*** [We have submitted our correspondent's letter with its 

 enclosures to Mr. J. H. Gurney, who kindly informs us that he 



