964 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX. 



[1241.] Buteo desertorttm. The Common Buzzard. 



Cumming, J. B. N. H. S. xvi. p. 691 (Seistan : one shot in February). 



757. $ . Kohat, 1,760 ft., 28th March. 



A winter visitor, but by no means as common as the last species. 



[1243.] Astur palttmbarius. The Goshawk. 



Ward, J. B. N. H. S. xvii. p. 729 (rare). 



This species occurs on passage, but very rarely. 



Mr. Donald says that nets are set in four or five gorges in the independ- 

 ent territory north of Kohat. These nets average twelve feet in height, 

 have a two-inch mesh, and are made to fit roughly the bottom of the gorge, 

 while they are so arranged as to collapse when struck by anything. The 

 Goshawk is thus occasionally taken in spring and autumn. Bonelli's Eagle 

 is its chief enemy and pursues both wild and trained birds for its prey. 

 This is the favourite Hawk with the local Khans, but it is an expensive luxury, 

 females costing from Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 and males from Rs. 50 to Rs. 70. 



[1244.] Astur badius. The Shikra. 



Ward, J. B. N. H. S. xvii. p. 729 (Kashmir : rare). 



A summer visitor, arriving towards the end of March. Nests commonly 

 in the Samilzai Valley. Large numbers are snared by means of a light 

 cage formed of fine netting stretched over supports, and covered with 

 nooses ; a live Quail is used as a bait. They are used for hawking Quail, 

 and their price varies from 2d. to Is. 



[1247.] Accipiter Nisus. The Sparrow-Hawk. 



Rattray, J. B. N. H. S. xii. p. 344 (Thall : occasionally seen ; breeds in 

 the Safed Koh) ; Marshall, op. cit. xv. p. 352 (not common ; occurs in 

 spring at Quetta) ; Fulton, op. cit. xvi. p. 59 (Chitral : shot one in May at 

 8,000 ft.) ; Ward, op. cit. xvii. p. 729 (a resident in Kashmir). 



Occurs on migration in spring and autumn. Colonel Rattray mentions a 

 young bird in down being brought to Parachinar in July from the Safed 

 Koh. Mr. Donald tells me that this species breeds freely in Tirah, which 

 lies just north of our limits, and that every autumn some thirty or forty 

 individuals are snared along the Kachai stream, by means of a drop-net 

 set up in the open, with a fine network cage containing Sparrows suspended 

 in front. The Hawk seeing the sparrows flutter up makes a dash and gets 

 entangled in the net. The bazaar rate varies from 2s. to 10s. 



[1249.] Pernis cristatus. The Honey Buzzard. Occurs on spring migra- 

 tion. 



[1254.] Falco peregrinus. The Peregrine Falcon. 



Ward, J. B. N. H. S. xvii. p. 729 (common in Kashmir). 



This species occurs chiefly on migration in spring and autumn, but is by 

 no means common. Mr. Donald only knows of one instance of its being 

 snared in the District, but has often observed it on passage. The bazaar 

 rate for a good female is about Rs. 30. 



