OF EASTERN TURKESTAN. 127 
bill, from gape, 1:8; weight, Ilb. 13:250z. Bull, fuliginous 
black ; the base of the lower mandible, ereenish yellow ; ; cere and 
gape, yellow ; irides, light brown ; leas and feet, yellow ; claws, 
greyish black. The closed wings reach to the end of the tail. 
This* was the only species of Kite observed in Eastern Tur- 
kestan, where it is tolerably common, especially in the plains, 
although it does not occur in anything like the enormous 
swarms of allied species of Kite seen in Kashmir and the parts 
of India which I have visited. It was first noticed near Yar- 
kand in April and the last specimen seen in the country was near 
Shahid-ullah about the end of August. The natives say that it 
is a permanent resident, but I cer tainly never noticed any kites 
during the winter, and believe they only arrive about March or 
April. This species breeds in Kashgharia, and, in the plains at 
all events, the nest seems always. to be placed on high trees. 
On the 27th April I found a nest at Kichik Taskhama (about 
ten miles or so east of Yarkand) inaclump of Zoghrak or 
poplar trees (Populus balsamifera, ; it was in the form of a rude 
sort of platform, made up of sticks and twigs about 2 feet 
square, placed on three strong horizontally growing branches, 
about 30 feet above the ground. The nest contained one young 
bird (No. 2, supra) not able to fly. The parent birds appeared 
to be much disturbed by my presence near their nest and soar- 
ed about anxiously, thus giving me an opportunity of shooting 
one of them, which proved to be a male (No. 1, above). I 
noticed that the female had the tail much less forked than her 
companion, probably because it had become much frayed while 
she was hatching. This kite is said to feed on fr og’s, fish, carrion 
and refuse eenerally, occasionally carrying off a chicken. It 
is called Achah Koyruk Sa, ‘the Fork-tailed Kite’ or occasionally 
Mizan Sa ‘the Balance Kite,’ in allusion to the manner in which 
it poises while soaring. 
67.—Otus vulgaris, Fem. 
6. Kashghar, 31st October.—Length, 14°3; wing, 11:7; 
tail, 5°63 tarsus, 1°35; bill, from Bape, 1:05. Bill, “black — 
light horuy at tip; irides, orange ; claws, brownish black. 
$. Yarkand, Febr ‘uary.—Leneth, 14: 9; wing, 11°75; tail, 
5-9); tarsus, ~1° 4; bill, from gape, 1:1. Bill, “bluish black ; 
irides, orange yellow ; ; claws, horny black. 
Two females, shot near Yarkand in February.—Length 14°8 
to 15°2 ;- wing, 12°25 to 12°3; tail, 6-2 to 6:5; tarsus,’ "1-45 to 
16; bill, from gape, 1:15 to 1: 25, Bill, slaty black—brown- 
ish at tip; irides, orange ; claws, black, brownish or pale at tips. 
* These specimens, though clearly very closely allied to I. major, appear to me all 
markedly smaller than this latter.—A. O. H. 
