22 ACCIPITRIN^. 



slightly rounded ; tarsus moderate, or shortish, plumed below 

 the knees for nearly half the length of the tarsus, stout, with 

 large scutse in front and behind ; near the knee, posteriorly, the 

 scales are small and reticulated; toes strong, outer-toe longer 

 than the inner one, joined to the middle-one; middle -toe moder- 

 ately long ; claws well curved, unequal ; inner claw very large, 

 about equal to that of the hind-toe. 



Astur trivirgatus, Tern. 



22. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 47 ; Hume's Scrap Book, 

 p. 116. 



THE CRESTED GOSHAWK. 

 GOT besra, Hin. 



<y. Length, 16; wing, 8*5 ; tail, 7 ; tarsus, 2*2. 



$ . Length, 17'5 ; wing, 9'5 ; tail, 8 ; tarsus, 2*5 ; hides bright 

 yellow ; legs pale yellow ; cere lemon-yellow. 



The young bird is brown above, with pale edgings to the 

 feathers ; eyebrows white, and some white or rufous about the 

 nape ; below white, more or less spotted on the breast, abdomen 

 and flanks with dark brown spots, least numerous in the male ; 

 tail pale ashy-brown, with four or five dark broad bands ; thigh- 

 coverts with transverse brown bands ; a narrow dark line down 

 the centre of the chin and throat ; and two more, one on each 

 side of the neck, not very distinct in the male, but becoming 

 more so with age ; an occipital crest of several elongated feathers ;{,] 

 under wing-coverts white, with brown spots ; quills and tail 

 beneath light cinereous, with dark bands. 



The adult bird has the upper plumage glossy dark brown, in 

 some with an olivaceous tinge, in older birds with a dark 

 slaty hue, especially when freshly moulted ; wings and tail 

 banded, the latter with four distinct dark bands ; beneath 

 white, the throat and upper part of the breast, with pale yellow- 

 "Brown oval spots ; the rest of the plumage beneath barred with 

 rich yellow-brown, the bars broad on the breast, belly and flanks ; 

 narrow on the thigh-coverts, but all becoming more narrow by 

 age. 



The Gor-besra is one of the rarest winter visitants we have. 

 As yet it has only been doubtfully recorded from the hilly wooded 

 regions near Mhow ; outside our limits, on the Neilgherries, it 

 is not uncommon. 



With regard to its nidification nothing definite seems to be 

 known, but it is strongly suspected to breed in the more -sou them 

 parts of India. 



Astur badius, 6m. 



23. Micronism badius, Gm. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, 

 p. 49 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 445 ; Dec- 

 can and South Mahratta country; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, 



