432 TALCONID^E. 



The bill is rather large and compressed, the upper mandible 

 strongly toothed on each side, in some individuals there is a second 

 tooth behind the first. The wings are short and rounded, the first 

 3 quills not differing greatly in length, but usually the 2nd and 3rd 

 are longer ; tail rather long, square at the end ; legs and feet stout, 

 middle toe not elongate, lateral toes unequal ; claws strong, very 

 little curved. Sexes alike in plumage. 



Key to the Species. 



a. A broad white imchal collar ; thigh-coverts 



ferruginous M. eutolmus, p. 432. 



b. No white collar. 



a. Thigh-coverts and lower surface through- 

 out white M. melanoleucus, p. 433. 



b'. Thigh-coverts black M. fringiUarrut, p. 434. 



As every one of these species has been identified in turn with 

 Falco ccerulescens of Linna3us, I think it best to follow Mr. Grurney's 

 suggestion and not employ that name for any of them ; the figure 

 of Edwards on which it is founded cannot be satisfactorily referred 

 to any one of the three. 



1267. Microhierax eutolmus. The Red-legged Falconet. 



lerax bengalensis (Brisson), amid Blyth, J. A. S. B. xii, p. 180* 



(1843). 

 Hierax eutolmus v. bengalensis, Hodgson in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 81 



(1844), descr. nulla. 

 Hierax eutolmus, Blyth, Cat. p. 17 ; id. J. A. S. B. xix, p. 324 ; 



Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 15 ; Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 42 ; Hume, Rough 



Notes, p. Ill ; Blanf. Ibis, 1870, p. 464; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. 



xliii, pt. 2, p. 152 ; Hume, 8. F. xi, p. 6. 

 Microhierax caerulescens (Linn.}, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. i, p. 366 ; 



Hume 4- Oates, S. F. iii, p. 22 ; Bingham, S. F. v, p. 80 j ix, 



p. 142 ; Hume, S. F. v. p. 126 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 3 ; 



Hume, Cat. no. 20 ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 211 ; id. in Hume's N. $E. 



2nd ed. iii, p. 183 ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. (2) v, p. 556. 

 Microhierax eutolmus, Gurney, Ibis, 1881, p. 272. 



Ching-Jin-nyel, Lepcha ; Doun-oo-hnouk, Burmese. 



Fig. 101. Head of M. eutolmus, \. 



Coloration. Forehead, broad supercilia extending back to the 

 sides of the neck, cheeks, and broad nuchal collar white ; crown, 



