BIRDS OF TKNASSERIM. 25 



short sailing flights after insects, perching immediately after 

 they had seized their prey. At times they would cling head 

 downwards for a few seconds to some of the smaller branches ; 

 they had a sharp kite-like squeal, to which they occasionally, 

 but not often, gave utterance. I find the following note in my 

 note-book : To-day, in the forests south of Bopyiu, I had a good 

 opportunity of noticing a Baza before I shot it. It was iu the 

 thickest part of the forest ; it kept making sallies after insects, 

 always catching them with its feet, sometimes in the air, 

 sometimes picking them off a leaf before which it would flutter 

 for a few seconds ; after each flight it would perch rather low 

 down, seldom returning to the perch from which it started. Both 

 when seated, and when just about to start after an insect, it 

 occasionally gave utterance to a peculiar note, or rather series 

 of notes, between a squeal and a whistle. It confined itself to 

 insects and did not attempt to strike any of the small birds 

 that were about ; in fact, the birds seemed to know that they 

 were safe, as they did not apparently attend to the movements 

 of the Baza in the least. 



This is, I should say, eminently a forest bird ; on only one 

 occasion have I seen it in the open, and then there were three 

 birds together flying at a good height ; but they were making 

 straight for a bit of forest about a quarter of a mile distant ; 

 they flew rather swiftly and with continued flappings of their 

 wings. I found only the remains of insects, chiefly coleoptera, 

 in the stomachs of those I examined. 



This bird, when fresh, has a most peculiar and disagreeable 

 odour ; what might be termed a regular frog-like or bug-like 

 smell ; nor does this wear off till the skin has been exposed to 

 the air for some considerable time. — W. D.] 



The following are the dimensions and colors of the soft parts 

 recorded in the flesh of two males and four females : — 



Males.— Length, 12-35 to 12*5; expanse, 295 to 30-5; tail 

 from vent, 5"3 to 5'5 ; wing, 9-0 to 9-5 ; tarsus, 1-0 to 1\L2 ; bill 

 from gape, 1*0 to 1 05 ; weight, 6 to 7 ozs. 



Females.— Length, 12-0 to 13-0 ; expanse, 30'O to 305 ; tail 

 from vent, 5'8 to 6'62 ; wing, 9 5 to 9'82 ; tarsus, 1-0 to 1-1 ; 

 bill from gape, 0-95 to 1-05 ; weight, 7*0 to 8 ozs. 



Legs and feet plumbeous blue ; claws horny black ; bill and 

 cere plumbeous blue ; tip of upper mandible black. 



58 bis.— Baza sumatrensis, Lafres. (1.) Descr. S. P. 

 III., 313, B. incognita, Ilume, loc. cit . 



Between Hankachin and Bahonee- 



Very rare and probably almost confined to the southernmos 

 portions of the province. 



4 



