56 FALCONID/E. 



Gen. Haliastur. 



Bill stout, curved and hooked. Nostrils circular with bony margin all 

 round. Wings very long, the 4th quill longest ; tail slightly rounded ; tarsi 

 plumed at the knee, and covered with scutse. 



50. Haliastur IndUS, Bodd. Tail. PL Enl 25 ; Gray, Gen. Birds, 

 i. p. 18 ; Jerdon, B. of Ltd. i. p. loi, No. 55 ; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 316 ; 

 S. F. vii. 251, i. p. 160; Murray, Hdbk. Zool. &c. Sind, p. 116; Gray, 

 Cat. Ace. B.M. p. 313. Haliaetus indus, Sch. Mus. P. .p. 19. The 

 MAROON-BACKED KITE. 



Adult. Head, neck, throat, entire breast, and as far as the middle of the 

 abdomen white, with dark brown shaft stripes ; rest of the plumage maroon, 

 or rufous chestnut, paler on the secondaries, the tail paling into a fulvous white 

 at the tip. Quills black, rufescent at the base of inner web ; under wing 

 coverts deep maroon, with dark shaft stripes ; cere brownish ; feet greenish 

 yellow ; irides brown. 



Length. 20 to 21 inches ; wing 1475 to 16 ; tail 7 to 8. 



The young bird is a rather deep brown above, the feathers tipped with 

 rufous. Head, neck, and lower parts pale rufous, streaked paler. 



Hal. India and Ceylon. Recorded from Sind, the Punjab, N.-W. Pro- 

 vinces, Kutch, Kattiawar, Ajmere, Concan, Deccan, Tranvancore, Upper 

 Pegu, Nepal. Breeds wherever it occurs from the middle of February to the 

 beginning of April, The nest is always on a tree near by water, and is not 

 unlike that of Milvus govinda. The normal number of eggs is two, but it is 

 not uncommon to find three. In shape they vary much ; but typically they 

 are very perfect, moderately broad ovals, slightly compressed towards one end ; 

 in colour greyish white, speckled or spotted with pale dingy brown or reddish 

 brown. Size 1-89102-28 X i'5 to 1-79. 



Gen. MilvUS. Cuv. 



Bill short, straight at the base, well curved and hooked at tip. Upper 



mandible with a rounded festoon. Nostrils oval, oblique. Wings long. 



Tail forked or emarginate. Tarsi short, plumed at the knees, and with 

 scutae in front below. 



