NOTES ON A VISIT TO THE LUCKNOW MUSEUM. 387 



56 bis. — Milvus melanotis, Temm and Sclileg. 



Only one specimen, a very fine adult female, with a 22-inch 

 wing, and having the inner webs of the primaries pure white 

 right up to the end of the emarginations. 



I have nowhere found the large migratory Kite a common 

 bird ; in the Doab and in Oudh I should be inclined to consider 

 it almost rare. 



Besides the above three species (not in ' Jerdon'), there were 

 immature specimens of Hypotriorchis subbuteo and H. severus* 

 said to have been killed in Oudh ; a pair, young and old, of 

 Falco peregrinator, and a fine series of F. peregrinus and 

 F. jugger, in various phases of plumnge. 



Aquiline birds were poorly represented, the most interesting 

 being spotted examples of Aquila hastata, which were not appa- 

 rently discriminated from A, ncevia, and a pair of beautiful 

 specimens of A. pennata ; one in mature dress, havino- the 

 under parts white ; the other a young bird, with the correspond- 

 ing plumage of a uniform brown color. 



A good many theories have lately been advanced respecting 

 the plumage of the Dwarf Eagle, but I still adhere to my own 

 conviction, viz., that the assumption of the adult livery is 

 attained by the gradual disappearance of the brown plumage of 

 the underparts, which, in the course of time, presents an un- 

 broken white, tinged with fulvous, or creamy-white appearance, 

 from the throat downwards. In fact, I possess a specimen, a male, 

 (see P. Z. S., 1875, p. 24,) which clearly proves that such is the 

 case ; this one, as stated in my paper above quoted, " has some 

 brown feathers on the flanks, clearly indicating that the brown 

 below is the early or first plumage." 



I was very much disappointed in not seeing Falco babylonicus, 

 the type specimen of which was procured f by Captain (now 

 Colonel) Irby, in October 1858, at Nawabgunge (Bankee,) 

 which is only 16 miles from Lucknow ; and in vain I looked 

 for the true Aquila fulvescens, Accipiter virgatits, and such like 

 rarities. 



Circus melanoleucus , C. cineraceus, and C. cyaneus were also 

 conspicuous by their absence, which is the more strange, seeino- 

 that the two former at least are fairly common in northern as 

 well as in parts of Central Oudh. 



Amongst the Nocturnal Rap tores the best was Ephialtes 

 griseus, Jerdon, of which there was a fair series, and one speci- 

 men, in a very dilapidated condition, of E. pennaius, Hodgson. 



* Colonel Dolme Radoliffe records the capture of a "beautiful adult specimen of 

 F. severus" (Ibis, 1871, p. 366) which he " shot at Futtebgurh in 1866." 

 f " Hough notes," p. 79. 



