444 NOTES ON THE AVIFAUNA OF MOUNT ABOO 



its prey ou the wing fromJts claws. One specimen I shot on 

 Aboo measured as follows : — Length, 16 inches ; wing, 11^- The 

 inside of the skin was so plastered with grease as to render skin- 

 ning it without soiling the feathers almost an impossibility. 



[Not yet obtained, or noticed in Sindh, dutch, Kattiawar 

 or any part of Jodhpoor. — A. 0. H.] 



16.— Hypotriorchis chicquera, Daud. 



The Turumti or Red-headed Merlin is not very common, but 

 appears to be distributed pretty generally throughout the plains. 

 It hunts with almost the audacity of the Peregrine. Upon one 

 occasion I remember shooting into a small flock, of Cnrsorius 

 gallicus wounding two and killing a third. One of the wounded 

 birds before falling flew " pump handling" for some distance 

 close to the ground and the other one towered. One of these beau- 

 tiful little Merlins at once appeared on the scene and followed in 

 pursuit of the towering bird to a height of 300 or 400 feet. As 

 soon as the Courier became aware of his presence, he closed his 

 w T ings and dropped to the ground like a stone, followed of course 

 by the Turumti, who stood erect by his side on my arrival, staring 

 at him as if it was the first bird he had ever seen. On my 

 approaching the spot, the Courier again took wing, followed by 

 the Merlin, and thinking he might fly some distance I shot him. 

 Instead of flying away, frightened by the shot, the Merlin took 

 no notice whatever of the report of the gun, but made a stoop 

 at the falling bird and accompanied it to the ground. I then 

 walked up to the spot and drove him away. 



After picking up the Plover I turned round, and to my un- 

 utterable surprise saw the Falcon on the top of the other wound- 

 ed bird. I ran up to them and found a desperate struggle 

 going on, and it was not until I nearly knocked the plucky little 

 fellow over with a stone that I induced him to leave his intended 

 meal. Upon another occasion, when pigeon shooting in Poona, 

 I saw a Turumti desceud suddenly and seize a pigeon 

 which had fallen wounded close to the trap within 30 yards of 

 a large crowd of spectators. Upon this occasion however 

 the poor little Falcon paid dearly for his temerity, as he was 

 shot by one of the by standers as he was endeavouring to rise 

 with the pigeon in his claws. 



[Common throughout all the sub-divisions with which I am 

 dealing, but not as yet recorded from Aboo. — A. 0. H.] 



17. — Tinnunculus alaudarius, Brisson. 



The Kestrel is very common all over the plains in the cold 

 weather. It is found also on the hills. 

 It arrives about the 6th September. 

 [Common throughout the entire region. — A. O. H.] 



