THE BIRDS OF GORAKHPUR. 543 



Not uncommon. On 30th April 1909 I found a single young one in a 

 nest. I took it two weeks later and tried to rear it but it died. On 9th 

 June I found another nest with a single young one. This bird I took and 

 kept for about a year. It was not a well-dispositioned hawk for hawking, 

 being of too sullen and stolid a character. The only unwounded bird or 

 animal it ever caught was a hare which it killed in its tremendous grip 

 instantaneously. The following year I obtained one egg from the same 

 nest on 9th March 1910. Both these nests were placed near the top of 

 exceptionally tall trees with dense forest on one side and an open grassy 

 forest glade on the other. The nest was about 2^ feet in diameter. 



Spizaetus nejmleiisis (1213). — Hodgson's Hawk-Eagle. A rarer bird than 

 the last species. In Oates and Blanford this bird is described as a winter 

 visitor to the plains but in Gorakhpur it is certainly resident and breeds 

 there. On 31st March 1910, I found a nest fairly high up in a sal tree 

 which contained one egg. I shot the bird and there is no doubt as to its 

 identification. The nest was lined with green leaves. On 23rd April 1911 

 a man brought me one of these birds which a month previously he had 

 picked up after an exceptionally heavy hail storm. A hail stone had hit 

 the bird on the head blinding one eye completely. This bird was probably 

 a year old as the lower plumage was white with large black drops. I was 

 told the hail storm referred to above did considerable execution amongst 

 water birds on some large open pieces of water in the forest. 



Spilornis clieela (1217). — The Crested Serpent Eagle. 



A fairly common eagle. Eggs taken 31st March 1910. 



Butastur teem (1220). — The White-eyed Buzzard-Eagle. 



A common bird. Eggs taken 16th May 1910 and 24th March 1910. 



Saliaetus leucoryphus (1223). — Pallas's Fishing Eagle. 



A pair of birds frequents nearly every lake of any size. Eggs taken 

 27th January 1910. 



Polioa'etus iciithya'etus (1226). — The Large Grey-headed Fishing Eagle. 



Fairly common wherever water exists. 



Saliastur indus (1228). — The Brahminy Kite. 



Common. Eggs taken on 30th March 1910. 



Milvus govinda (1229). — The Common Pariah Kite. 



Common. Eggs taken 3rd March 1910 and 11th March 1910. 



Elanua cceruleus (1232). — The Black-winged Kite. 



Not a very common bird, especially in the north. 



Circus macrurus (1233). — The Pale Harrier. 



Not uncommon. 



Circus melanoleucus (1236) . — The Pied Harrier. 



A rather rare bird. 



Circus (sruffinosus (1237). — The Marsh Harrier. 



Not uncommon. 



Buteoferox (1239). — The Long -legged Buzzard. 



Buteo desertorum (1242). — The Common Buzzard. 



Astur badius (1244). — The Shikra. 



Common. Eggs taken on 1st May 1909, 28th April 1910 and 20th 

 April 1911. 



Accijnter nisus (1247). — The Sparrow-Hawk. 



A young bird of this species was shot by Mr. Hope Simpson on 7th 

 January 1912 in the act of boldly attempting to take a wounded snipe 

 which a coolie was retrieving. 



Pernis cristatus (1249). — The Crested Honey-Buzzard. 



A not uncommon bird. Eggs taken on 4th June 1911. 



Tinnunculus cdaudarius (1265). — The Kestril, 



Common, 



