10 i. FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS 



dropped dead, but his pinion was only broken and lie came 

 down in a slanting direction ; he fought most fiercely while 

 I was securing him. — J. I." 



An adult specimen. The adnlts of this species differ in one 

 respect conspicuously — some have the chin, throat, and breast, 

 fiiow white ; in others these parts are strongly tinged and 

 overlaid with the bright ferruginous chestnut of the rest of 

 the lower parts. 



Mr. Sharpe (Cat. B. I., p. 256) gives the habitat of this 

 species as the Indian Peninsula, Malacca, and Borneo. I have, 

 however, strong doubts whether it is this species which oc- 

 curs iu the Indian Peninsula, and anyhow it must be ex- 

 tremely rare there, whereas in North-Eastern India, as in Sik- 

 him for instance, it is far from uncommon, and here we find 

 it again in Cachar. The specimen sent is a male with a wing 

 143. In the females the wings reach to 17 5. 



39 ter.— Spilornis Rutherfordi, Swinh. 



u This Eagle is not uncommon. I have generally observed 

 it in plains. I have seen it throughout the year ; it subsists on 

 snakes, lizards, and large grasshoppers. — J. I." 



An adult and a young female, both belonging to this 

 smaller race, the female having the wing only 16-75. 



40.— Pandion haliaetus, Lin. 



" The Osprey is not uncommon on the larger rivers ; it is 

 a bold fisher and often kills very large fish ; it is most com- 

 mon towards the hills. I have never noticed it during the 

 rains. — J. I.' 



An adult, unsexed, wing 192. 



41. — Polioaetus ichthyaetus, Borsf. 



" This Eagle is rather rare. Here it generally fishes in 

 jheels. The natives say it often carries off kids and fowls. 

 It is rather a slovenly bird and does not keep itself over 

 clean.— J. I." 



A young specimen, unquestionably of this species, with a 

 wing 19, and tarsi enormously thick, with the whole throat, 

 breast, and upper abdomen in the lineated plumage, but with 

 the greater part of the tail already white, though with a broad 

 black terminal band, and much mottled elsewhere with 

 brown. 



As in the Bootan Doars and the Sikhim Terai, both this 

 and the next species appear to occur in the Cachar District. 



