4M JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XI, 



etc., shake the bamboos and catch the flustered and frightened birds as 

 they fall to the ground. Each bamboo forms a resting-place for twenty 

 birds and upwards, and out of these some half-dozen or so are captured. 

 and thrust into baskets prepared for the purpose. These are then 

 sent to market and sold as pigeons for two pice. Hindus and all eat 

 these birds and seem quite happy about their being pigeons. I should think- 

 adult birds probably take some time to arrive at their complete mature 

 plumage. When they come through these hills a few males are still in 

 the female garb, but the majority have put on that of the male with the 

 exception of a few wing-quills which are still barred like those of the 

 female ; again the younger birds have the striae on the lower plumage 

 much more marked in the older birds, these shaft streaks being almost 

 invisible. One young bird, obtained in October, 1892, has the shaft 

 streaks on the flanks, widened out considerably and developed at the 

 end into narrow r drops : there is a wide subterminal bar of dull black on 

 the tail, and the light edgings to the under-tail coverts are very 

 conspicuous. The coloration of these feathers varies considerably, but 

 the depth of the rufous seems to have no connection with the age of the- 

 bird. A party of five of these birds were seen in early May and one 

 which was obtained turned out to be a young male, the whole of the 

 lower plumage like that of the adult male, but the feathers with broad 

 strise ending in drops. 



(539) TiNNUNCULirs alaudarius.-— The Kestrel. 

 Hume, Nos. 17 and 17 bis. ; Blanford, No. 1265. 



Common at all heights and in the plains. Breeds in Cachar. 

 (540) Tinnunculus cenchris. — The Lesser Kestrel. 

 Hume, No. 18, 18 61, 18 ter. ; Blanford, No. 1266. 



A rare bird here, and 1 have seen but few specimens. 



(541) Microhierax melanoleucws. — The White-legged Falconets 

 Hume, No. 20 bis. ; Blanford, No. 1268. 



This fine little Falcon is rather a rare bird in Caehar, and does not sit' 

 about in flocks as it appears to do in the Dibrughur Gardens (vide 

 Cripps on u Stray Feathers"). The few I have noticed have been in 

 pairs, and of these I have secured but three. One of these last was- 

 obtained in a rather unusual manner. 



The bird had. tackled and killed a Scimitar-Babbler, and, finding it 

 &o- heavy to carry off, commenced to eat it on the ground. It 



