THE ISLANDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL. 141 



23 Ms.— Micronisus soloensis, Horsf. (0.) 



Although we were all of us anxiously on the look-out for 

 this bird, throughout our visit to the Nicobars, we never suc- 

 ceeded in even seeing a specimen. Von Pelzeln (Reise Novara, 

 p. 12) quoting Herr Zelebor, says : — ei A young female was killed 

 on the 25th February in the forests to the south of Car Nicobar. 

 The little raptor was observed in the thickest forest where it 

 made an unsuccessful dash at an Oriolus macrourus, and then 

 perched on a palm. It was not common, we only twice 

 observed it." 



The only small hawk we obtained was that next mentioned, 

 but of course it is possible that some of those seen, but not 

 obtained, by Davison, belonged to the present and not to the 

 next species. 



25.— Accipiter virgatus, Temm. (1.) 



A single specimen, a female, which I refer to this species, was 

 obtained. If gularis of Schlegel be admitted as distinct, this 

 bird might stand under this latter name, insomuch as its fourth 

 quill is considerably longer than the fifth ; whereas in all 

 my twelve specimens of the true virgatus from various parts 

 of the Himalayas, from Murree to Darjeeling, the fourth and 

 fifth quills are almost precisely of the same length. Dr. Jerdoa 

 gives the dimensions of the wing of the males and females 

 of this species as 675 and 8*5 respectively. Schlegel gives the 

 wing at from 5*95 to 7*2. Four adult males in my collection 

 have wings varying from 6*5 to 6*85 ; in four young males the 

 wings vary from 6"35 to 6'6; in four females, old and young, 

 from 7*5 to 7*9. The Southei'n Indian bird seems much smaller. 

 A young male from Anjango has the wing only 5*85. 



The present specimen, a nearly adult female, measured in 

 the flesh as follows : — 



Length, 12*5; expanse, 23'75 ; wing, 7*5; tail, from vent, 

 582; tarsus, 2*25 ; bill, from gape, 0*82. 



The legs and feet were pale yellowish green ; the bill plum- 

 beous blue, tipped blackish ; the irides and cere gamboge, 

 yellow. 



Mr. Davison remarks : — el This bird appears to be very rare ; 

 I only saw it twice during my stay at the Andamans, once 

 soon after my arrival at Port Blair, and again about a month 

 later. On both occasions the bird was sailing iu circles over 

 some gardens at Aberdeen ; they were very shy, and I was 

 unable to get a shot. The one specimen obtained was shot at 

 Aberdeen on the 24th of April. While at the Nicobars, I, on 



