THE BIRDS OF GILGIT. 307 



Many young ones, conspicuous by the white tail, noticed 

 in winter time, hunting these Partridges. 



15.— Nisaetus pennatus, Gm. (33). 



In March and April a number are seen for a short time. 

 Not noticed at any other time. A few specimens were secured 

 in these months. One, a male, is in the plumage figured by 

 Dresser in the " Birds of Europe," except that the whole 

 of the sides of the neck and the throat are brown, each feather 

 centred darker, but palest in the middle of the throat. 

 Length, 2025 inches ; wing, 14 '5 ; tail, 9 ; tarsus, 2*5. Weight, 

 1 lb. 8 oz. Cere, pale yellow ; irides, pale red. 



16.— Pandion haliaetus, Lin. (40). 



An Osprey was observed by me, at intervals of about three 

 weeks, in the vicinity of a small marsh ; but it was so wary 

 that for a long time I failed to get a shot at it. It proved to 

 be a male in almost adult plumage. Its stomach was full of 

 a watery fluid, and contained a number of small wireworms 

 about two inches long ; and the bird was extremely fat. This 

 was in March. I have once or twice fancied that I have 

 identified the bird at other times in winter ; but it is certainly 

 not common. 



17.— Buteo ferox, Gm. (45). 



Extremely common in the main valley in winter. In the 

 summer it ascends to the higher valleys, and breeds appa- 

 rently at about 10,000 feet. All specimens, both of this 

 Buzzard and B. plumipes, shot during the winter, had large 

 balls of a hard gummy substance firmly attached to their 

 claws, which must considerably interfere with their grasping 

 their prey. 



18. — Buteo plumipes, Hodgs. (47). 



A winter visitant, not very common ; three specimens were 

 shot about January. 



A male, in early adult plumage, corresponds fairly with the 

 description in Sharpens Catalogue (I., p. 181) ; but on the breast 

 the feathers entirely lack the black shaft-stripe, the shaft 

 only being black ; each feather on the chest is dark rufous 

 with a bluish tinge, and with a paler and brighter margin. 

 On the upper surface the dark purplish gloss is confined to 

 the mantle. Expanse, 49'5 inches; length, 20'3 ; wing, 15*7 ; 

 tail, 9-4 ; tarsus, 2'6 ; bill at gape, 1*55. Weight, 1 lb. 10 oz. 



None of the specimens observed or obtained were in the 

 dark ferruginous plumage figured in Sharpe's Catalogue 

 (Vol. I.) ; all were of the " B. japonicus" type. 



