28 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



but larger Goshawks (Astur) with light-coloured 

 eyes and short wings, have as wide a distribution as 

 the Falcons. 



The scavenging Kites (Milvus) distinguished by 

 their forked tails, are most familiar birds even in 

 towns in the East, and very tame, especially 

 the Yellow-billed (M. cegyptius) in Africa and the 

 Pariah (M. govinda) in India ; the latter bird is 

 literally as abundant as a sparrow in some places. 

 In Eastern harbours the beautiful bay-and-white 

 Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) is a common 

 object and is found about water inland ; it is one 

 of the conspicuous birds of India. This is not 

 fork- tailed. The Harriers, with light eyes and 

 long wings, tail and legs, are ground-breeding 

 hawks of very wide range, and one of them (Circus 

 gouldi) is the common hawk of New Zealand. 



The widely-spread Caracara (Polyborus brasi- 

 liensis) of South America is typical of a group of 

 carrion-hawks with very crow-like habits ; it is 

 about as big as a raven, dark above, with whitish 

 neck and under surface, the latter barred with 

 black, the bill pale blue-grey. 



The Chimango (Ibycter chimango) is an allied 

 but smaller bird, light brown, and of the size of 

 a rook. The so-called Jack-rook of the Falk- 

 lands (Ibycter australis) is a hawk of this group, 

 nearly as big as the Caracara, and mostly black ; 

 it has a cawing note. 



The fish-eating Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), found 

 nearly all over the world, is sometimes placed in a 

 distinct family, but on slight grounds ; it has, 

 like some others (Elanus, Polioaetus), no web at the 

 base of the toes, and the young have the down 

 variegated. 



