AND NORTHERN GUZERAT. 449 



[This is one of the Aboo out-liers, Dr. King also obtained 

 this species there. I have no record of its occurring elsewhere 

 than on the slopes of the Aravallis within the region we are 

 dealing with, except at the extreme eastern margin at Sam- 

 bhur, where one or two rare stragglers have been seen. — 

 A. O. H.] 



59— Elanus melanopterus, Baud. 



The Black-winged Kite, though not a very common species, 

 occurs all over the plains, but does not, as far as I know, ascend 

 the hills. It is generally found singly or in pairs. Its " modus 

 volandi" is very varied. Sometimes it flies lazily along very 

 like a Gull, at other times it sails round and round in circles, 

 often stopping to hover in the air like a Kestrel, as recorded by 

 Dr. Jerdon. Then again when hunting it flies with quite the 

 swiftness and in quite the style of a Falcon. 



I have seen one of these birds stoop and carry off a wounded 

 Quail with quite the rapidity and dash of a Peregrine. 



[Occurs throughout the whole region ; Stoliczka, though he 

 omits it in his list, obtained a young male, which he gave me with 

 many other of his Cutch specimens ; in fact I named the whole 

 collection, and he allowed me to pick out everything I wanted 

 before he wrote his paper, and he did not sufficiently note what 

 I took. In some cases I am to blame, e.g., he enters Falco baby- 

 lonicus in his Cutch list, and this is how I named the Falcon 

 he gave me, but later (see Vol. I., p. 20) .1 discovered that it 

 was a specimen of F. barbarus, and this name should be substi- 

 ted for the other in his list. — A. 0. H.] 



60.— Strix Javanica, Gmel. 



The Indian Screech Owl is not at all common as far as my 

 experience goes. I have met with it in the neighbourhood of 

 Deesa and in one or two other localities. I did not observe it 

 at Aboo. 



[I have no specimen or record of this from either Cutch, 

 Kattiawar, or Jodhpoor, but I found it in Sindh and at Ajmere, 

 and it occurs at Sambhur and, though rare, will probably prove 

 to occur throughout the whole region. — A. 0. H.] 



68— Otus brachyotus,Gm^. 



The Short-eared Owl is very abundant in some places. It 

 usually lies in long grass, and occasionally in the cold weather, 

 when beating for small game, I have met with several dozens, 

 all apparently belonging to the same flock. They rise singly 

 or in pairs, sometimes as many as four and five at a time, fly 

 lazily for about 40 or 50 yards, and then drop down suddenly 



3 i 



