34 A SECOND LIST OF THE BIRDS 



" This Eagle, which was given rae by a friend, was shot at an 

 elevation of about 2,200 feet, while in the act of swooping at 

 a chicken. Near at hand, however, were high precipitous cliffs, 

 rising to an elevation of fully 5,000 feet, where the bird pro- 

 bably had its home. Not long after obtaining this specimen an 

 Eagle flew past me, while I was riding, which, from its deep 

 chestnut-colored belly, I have no doubt belonged to this same 

 species." 



58— Circus pygargus, Lin. 



" This species" (says Mr. Bourdillon) " seems to be rather 

 solitary in its habits. I observed it for the first time last 

 year, and then only saw three or four singly hawking over 

 grassy and rocky ridges/' 



53.— Circus melanoleucus, Forst. 



An immature female ; but with the unmistakeable long 

 tarsus, 3' 18 in length. 



75 quat. — Scops malabaricus, Jerd. 



Three nestlings, which I believe unquestionably belong to 

 this well-marked species, have been sent. These were brought to 

 him, Mr. Bourdillon says, when still entirely in down, and kept 

 alive for some time in hopes of securing a record of their changes 

 of plumage as they advanced to maturity. Unfortunately they 

 were allowed to die by the carelessness of servants during 

 a temporary absence from home before they were even fully 

 fledged. 



I think that Mr. Sharpe is wrong in uniting this species 

 with S. indicusy Gm. (vide S. F., Vol. V., p. 135,) and these 

 specimens are certainly unlike any stage of that species, of 

 which I have seen simply hundreds in every possible stage of 

 plumage. 



96. — Chaetura indica, Hume. 



Mr. Bourdillon says : " This species is abundant at all times 

 of the year when the weather is fine and clear, and during the 

 early showers of April a flight of Swifts is a pretty sure indi- 

 cation of the approach of a storm. The flight of these Swifts 

 is magnificent ; their speed almost incredible ; the rushing noise 

 made as they dart through the air quite startling. I was much 

 interested the other day in watching a flight of these Swifts 

 feeding on a crowd of Termites that, as is usual at this time of 

 the year, were swarming up from their underground nest. I 

 was close enough to see that at the instant of capture the 

 Swifts detached and rejected the wings of their prey." 



