588 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 



The fact of the hyoids passing right round the eye is most unexpecte 1 in 

 itsdf, but -what would seem perhaps the strangest part of all is that in a 

 bilaterally symmetrical animal like a bird the two muscles should not 

 pass round the two eyes (the right hyoid round the right eye and the 

 lefthyoid round the left eye) but that they should both pass round one 

 and the same eye. It is possible that the above described arrangement 

 o: the hyoids will be found in other genera besides Pyrrhopicus and 

 Picumnus, and it would be interesting to ascertain this point, as possibly 

 throwing some light on the affinities inter se of the various families of 

 woodpeckers. 



I may here add that in Sasia the course taken by the hyoids is normal 

 and not as in Picumnus as one might have been led to expect from the 

 apparent similarity of these two genera. 



B. B. OSMASTON, 

 Deputy Conservator of Forests. 

 Darjkeling, 3l8< March 1902. 



No. IV —IDENTIFICATION OF ACCTPITRINE BIRDS. 



It is not within the scope of this paper, or my intention, to write anything 



«riwinal on the "Raptores '' of India, a task which would be at best a difficult 



one and far beyond my humble means. Blanford's Vol. Ill, pages 313 to 436 



of the Fauna of British India, has been brought well up-to-date by that able 



ornithologist and leaves nothing to be desired, but for members of the Society 



w'to perchance have not got the book, or being stationed in jungles or 



small stations with no library within miles and though, knowing nothing of 



the subject, are still interested in it, a few nctes on the chief characteristics 



leadin" to the identification of species, in simple language and purged of 



all technicalities, so far as is possible, may be of use. Many a rare bird has, 



1 dare say often been thrown away, after being shot, through the sportsman 



not knowing what it was and not having a book at hand, to help him 



to its identification and the possibility of it turning out to be something 



very common, has deterred him from sending it to friends, who could 



have helped him. The subject in itself will be found of the greatest 



interest, once taken up^ but as a hobby to while away pleasantly, and 



profitably, the weary hours of camp life in the jungles, it would be very hard 



to beat. 



I shall in every case follow Blanford's keys to the differentiation of species 

 which I do not think could possibly be made more lucid or concise. 



The accipitrine birds are divided into 3 families which comprise no less 

 than 87 species, as folluws : — 



Pandioniclce Ospreys ... A single species. 



Vulturidce VuHnres ... 9 „ 



Falcotiidce ..• E;igles, Hawks, Falcons, &c. 77 „ 



