THE BIRDS OF PREY OF THE PUNJAB. 



607 



to learn the diSereuce, but it is also necessary to point out that a tail 

 IS sometimes misleading. If spread out like a fan and extending 

 right across from wing to wing, it will appear extremely short, and 

 m a Vulture, will hardly look like a tail at all, whereas the same 

 bird, a few minutes later, will appear to have grown a fresh one which 

 is very apparent, if still " short". 



As colour is perhaps the first thing that strikes the eye, in a bird 

 on the wing, I give prommence to that. The diagrams under 

 " manner of flight " mean : — 



wings held well above the body. 



wings held slightly above the body. 



wings held on the same plane as the body. 



wings, ofieyi, bent downwards from the first joint, 

 not always. 



Very often it will be seen that the tips of the primaries, in some 

 big bird, curve well upwards, but as this probably depends on air 

 currents or the amount of wind against a flying bird, and is not the 

 characteristic of* any individual, I take no notice of it at all. This 

 may be very apparent at one time and hardly visible a minute later. 

 To save space and make the Key easily and quickly read, if sud- 

 denly required. I use the followj^^g abbreviations, which will be 

 used throughout : — V.^very, W.__wing or wings, T.=tail, B.=: 

 broad, M. ^medium, S.=short, H.:=head, " M. 0. F."^mamier of 

 flight, L.=long. 



Thus, V. large, W. & T. black, W. B., T. M., would mean that the 

 bird in question was very large in size, wings and tail black, wings 

 broad, and tail medium. 



Colouration, again, can only be touched on in a general way. To 

 go ' into minute details, even where they are discernible, which is 

 not often, would mean lengthy descrij)tion. and thus defeat the 

 object of the key, i.e., a rapid reference. 



Generally speaking, any definite marking in a bird which is also 

 more or less conspicuoas is mentioned, and where on marking or other 

 colour to that under which the bird comes, is stated, it means that 

 the general colour scheme is uniform. For instance; see under 

 " A. Birds in which the colour Black predominates." No. 3, The 

 Imperial Eagle. 



Mention is made of the head which is whitish and the white band 

 on tail and nothing else. This means that the rest of the bird, as 

 seen, gives the impression or being uniform black throughout. 



Again the Cinereous Vulture is often so deep a brown that when 

 flying it might easily be taken for black, so a certain amount of latli- 

 tude must be allowed by the observer, in picking out colours which 

 very closely resemble each other and may be either the one or the 

 other, at a little distance. 



