1871.] RAPTORIAL BIRDS OF INDIA. 679 



Hume, had been added to my list, I was on the qui vive in the fond 

 hope that something would turn up before it got dark. 



Small flights of Parrots (Pulceornis torquatus and P. rosa) were 

 winging their way in rapid succession to their favourite roosting-places, 

 as is their wont at sunset, wheu to my delight a Falcon dashed into a 

 small flock of the latter, within a few paces of my horse's head, and 

 sufficiently close to startle the animal momentarily. My gun-bearers, 

 as invariably happens in cases of emergency, had lagged about a 

 hundred yards behind, or I could easily have jumped off my horse, 

 and shot the Falcon on the wing. Thrice did she attempt to strike 

 her quarry, and on each occasion the Parrots huddled together in the 

 utmost terror and confusion, dropping, as if shot dead, into the high 

 ruhur crop through which I was riding. As they emerged,' the 

 Falcon doubled back upon them, and having been foiled in her re- 

 peated attempts, betook herself to a neighbouring tree, whence I had 

 no difficulty in bringing her down. 



Length 17, wing 12f inches. Cere and base of bill greenish 

 yellow, orbital space pale yellow ; legs and feet bright yellow. 



Had it not been for the friendly cover, and perhaps the noise made 

 by me in calling for my gun, the Falcon would not have retired to 

 roost supperless that night. I have sinee learned that this Falcon 

 preys to a great extent on Parrots. 



The Shaheen must indeed be a rare bird ; for this is the only one 

 seen by me during a tour of five and a half months, and it is no 

 exaggeration to say that hardly a day passed without myself or col- 

 lectors spending several hours in the field. 



When on my voyage out from England, a Falcon was captured ou 

 board the Peninsular and Oriental steamer ' Golconda,' on the evening 

 of the 18th of October last, off the Bombay coast (midway between 

 Aden and that port), of which I noted down a description and mea- 

 surements as well as circumstances would permit, considering the 

 poor bird had a broken leg and was confined in a hen-coop. I have 

 now no hesitation in considering this to have been a male F. pere- 

 grinator. It would have been very interesting to have compared 

 this specimen with examples from the North-west Provinces ; but 

 unfortunately one of the ship's officers was an amateur ornithologist, 

 and all my attempts to negotiate for the bird proved futile. 



In like manner I lost two specimens of Accipiter nisus and one 

 Tinnunculus cenchris, besides several small birds in the Mediterra- 

 nean. The Bombay F. peregrinator wanted the rich ochreous co- 

 louring beneath, so conspicuous in my bird, and was certainly of a 

 paler hue above. 



9 bis. Falco atriceps, Hume*. (The Black-cap Falcon.) 

 This was another trophy obtained by me on the morning of the 



16th of November last, just/w days after going into camp. It was 



indeed a good beginning. 



Weight 13| oz. Length 17, wing 13|, expanse 40 inches. Feet 



and legs orange ; cere and eyelids pale yellow ; bill greenish at 



* See concerning this species Col. Delme Kadcliffe's remarks in ' Ibis ' 1871 

 p. 363. 



