162 Contributions to the Ornithology of India, 8fc. 



F. R. Blewitt says^ " All along-, within and near to the forests, 

 fVom Singbora to the end of the Lohara beat, 1 met with Milvua 

 major. The length of the largest male and female which I procur- 

 ed, (and there seemed to be no material differences in the size of the 

 sexes, though individual birds of each sex differed vastly according 

 apparently to age,) was 37*7 inches, but, judging from the size 

 of some of the specimens I failed to secure, 1 should guess that 

 tiiey run to 29 inches. 



" Throughout the country above-mentioned, I daily saw num- 

 bers of this species particularly at the Rajun fair, where the birds 

 collected in scores. On the plains it is very rare. As you very 

 correctly state it is at all times a wary bird, it was only when 

 curiosity induced them to fly over my camp, or when I enticed 

 them with flesh or dead birds to approach nearer, that I could 

 get to shoot them. Of the thirty and odd birds, only one was 

 shot sitting. From M. govinda it is easily distinguishable by its 

 larger size, form, colouring of the large wing feathers, and its 

 more heavy flight. The two species on occasions associate, 

 though battles are frequent between them." 



Mr. Gurney had suggested and Mr. Blandford seems to think 

 that major might be identical with Milviis melanotis of Sclilegel 

 figured both in the Fauna Japonica, and in Radde's work on the 

 Siberian Avifauna. In the Fauna Japonica the wing of this 

 species is given at from 18'9 to 19-7 inch. In his catalogue 

 of the Leyden Museum, Schlegel identifies melanotis with govinda, 

 and states, that the dimensions are those of regalis, of which he 

 gives the wing at from 20*25 to 21'35 inch. The dimensions of 

 the Fauna Japonica are, I apprehend, those most to be relied 

 on, as they are actually recorded from specimens, whereas the 

 catalogue statement " same size as M. regalis, " is somewhat 

 vague and loose. Be this as it may, the pure white wing 

 patch of M. ma;'of distinguishes it equally from M. melanotis ax^i 

 the two other species that occur in India. Of M. melanotis, 

 Schlegel expressly says, " The primaries are mottled with white 

 near their bases;" moreover Mr. Gurney says in epist, " I asked the 

 Curator of the Norwich Museum to examine our specimens of 

 M. melanotis from Japan, and of M. govinda from China, some 

 of which (especially the more Northern) seem to be a larger race 

 than the Indian, and also our specimens of ordinary M. govinda." 

 In reply he informs me, " that he cannot discover any such white 

 patch as you mention as characteristic of M. major. In all the 

 specimens the inside of the primaries above the notch is more or 

 less mottled with white which does not appear to be more pro- 

 minent in one species or race than in the others," it is there- 

 fore pretty certain that M. major and M. melanotis are distinct. 



