410 



black ; the inner portion of the scapulars and a band across the 

 tertiaries white ; some ferruginous red on the tertiaries and some- 

 times on the scapulars below the white, also on the outer webs of 

 the later primaries and earlier secondaries ; lower surface of quills, 

 of larger under wing-coverts and of tail-feathers ashy, except the 

 ends of the primaries and subterminal patch on some of the tail- 

 feathers, which are blackish ; a broad white gorget, followed by a 

 black band more or less mixed with ferruginous ; lower breast and 

 long feathers on the flanks buff with ferruginous cross-bars ; 

 abdomen, posterior flanks, and lower tail-coverts black. 



In younger birds there is much more ferruginous red and rather 

 more white on the scapulars and quills, the upper surface and 

 throat are duller black, the dark pectoral band behind the white 

 gorget is mostly ferruginous red, and the red bands on the long 

 feathers of the flanks are faint or wanting. 



Bill horny plumbeous, tipped brownish above and whitish below ; 

 cere, legs, and feet dull leaden blue ; irides purplish brown ; claws 

 horny (Bingham). 



A. male measures : length about 12-5 ; tail 5*5 ; wing 9 ; tarsus 

 1*1 ; mid-toe 1*2; bill from gape 1. Females are rather larger: 

 length 13 ; wing 9-9. 



Distribution. The base of the Himalayas as far west as Nepal, 

 Assam, Cachar, Manipur, Arrakan, Tenasserirn, Cochin China and 

 the Malay Peninsula, and in Ceylon. This bird is also occasionally 

 killed near Calcutta (according to Blyth in the rainy season) ; a 

 specimen was once shot by Jerdon near Nellore. According to 

 both Blyth and Jerdon, B. lophotes occurs sparingly throughout 

 India, but it appears doubtful whether it has ever been met with 

 near the west coast. Ball has not recorded it from Chutia Nag- 

 pur, and I never saw nor heard of it in the Central Provinces nor 

 in the Bombay Presidency. It breeds in Assam and Burma ; but 

 is regarded by Legge as probably a cold-weather migrant in 

 Ceylon. 



Habits, fyc. A denizen of high tree-forest, this, one of the most 

 beautiful of Accipitrine birds, appears to be nowhere common. 

 It is somewhat gregarious, has a sharp kite-like cry, and lives 

 mainly on insects, though a lizard is said in one case to have been 

 found in its stomach. Very little is known of the nidification : 

 Mr. Cripps obtained a nest containing two young birds in Upper 

 Assam on June 21st, and Colonel Bingham saw two adults feeding 

 a young bird near the Thouiigyin, Tenasserim, on August llth; 

 but quite recently Mr. Hauxwell obtained a nest with three eggs, 

 also in the Thoimgyin valley, on April 30th. The nest was 

 about a foot in diameter, formed of twigs, with a slight central 

 depression lined with fresh leaves. The eggs were hard-set, chalky 

 white in colour, and broad ovals, measuring on an average 1-5 

 by 1-25. 



This and other species of Baza, have the habit, when seated, of 

 erecting their crests almost vertically. 



