66 FALCONING. 



. Southern and Upper India, Nepal, and Assam, Sikkim, Arrakan, 

 British Burma, the Tennaserim Provinces, Darjeeling. 



Affects open jungle, and are often seen perched on dead trees in parties of 

 5 or 6. Mr. Davison found that they affected the top of some large tree rising 

 higher than its neighbours, and from this commanding perch they took longer 

 or shorter flights, after insects apparently. Their flight is rapid and as far as 

 my observations go, they feed both on insects and small birds. They are 

 quick and lively in their motions. Of the nidincation of this, the red-legged 

 Falconet, nothing is known. 



62. Microhierax fringillarius, Drap. Diet. Class d'Ht'st. Nat. vi. 

 p. 412, pi. v. Hierax caerulescens, Vig. Zool. Journ. i. p. 339; JBfy. J. A. 

 S. B., xii. p. 1 80; Wall. Ibis., 1868 p. 6. Hierax Malayensis, Strickl. 

 Ann. N. H ti xiii. p. 33. THE BLACK-LEGGED FALCONET. 



Adult. Above deep blue black, quills and tail also black, but barred with 

 white on their inner web ; forehead and a stripe from behind the eye down the 

 sides of the neck white, lores, round the eye, ear coverts and hinder part of 

 cheek black ; under parts silky white ; the throat slightly, the abdomen and 

 under tail coverts more richly washed with ochre ; sides of body, flanks, and 

 outer face of thighs glossy black. 



Length. 575 to 6*45 inches ; wing 3-62 to 3-82 ; tail 2 to 275 ; bill from 

 gape 0-45 to 0-55 ; tarsus 0-65 to 075; bill legs, and feet black; irides dark 

 brown; orbital skin plumbeous. 



The female is larger. 



Length. 6-4. to 67; wing 3-82 to 4-15 ; tail 2-25 to 2*62. 



In the young bird the bill is yellow ; frontal band and streak behind the 

 eye tinged with pale ferruginous ; upper tail coverts and tail feathers margined 

 with buff. 



Hab. The Malayan Peninsula, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Tennaserim, 

 Malacca and Singapore. 



The black-legged falconet is common in the southern portions of the 

 Province of Tennaserim, as high up as 3,500 feet elevation. It is not known 

 from any other part of British India. It feeds generally on small birds and 

 insects, and its habits are quite those of M. ccerulescens. 



^*^ f Gen. Poliohierax. Kaup. 



Nostrils perpendicular, oval, with no overhanging membrane or central 

 tubercle ; bare part of tarsus greater than outer toe and claw. 



63. Poliohierax insignis, Waid. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 627, et Ibis. 



1872, pp. 200-471 ; Sharpe, Cat. Ace. B. M. p. 370; Stray. F.> vi. p. 2. 

 Lithofalco fieldeni, Hume, J. A. S. B. 1872, p. 70. FIELDEN'S FALCONET. 



Adult Male. Forehead, lores and feathers round the eye greyish white with 

 dark shafts ; rest of the top, back, sides of the head and upper back slaty 



