35 6



Stray Notes on Indian Birds.



of 1895 ; and observed that as they soared they carried their legs

behind and rather drooping. Although this yellow-billed species,

or rather race, is supposed to be replaced by the black-billed N.

peicnopterus in Afghanistan and Baluchistan, the Afghan-Baluclr

Commission of 1896 got a specimen of the Indian form gingin-

ianus, among the birds they collected there.


Bearded Vulture. Gypaetus barbahts.


A pair haunted Mussoorie when I was there ; they flew

low, and near enough, on one occasion at least, for me to see the

beard of bristles under the bill. The bird has a magnificent

appearance on the wing, and it and the Scavenger ( Neophron)

resemble each other far more than either does a typical Vulture.

Blauford has also observed the resemblance between these two

forms.


Common Pariah Kite. Milvus govinda.


This bird abounded in Calcutta in my time, and was as

bold as a London pigeon ; I often saw it robbed of its food by a

couple of Crows, one keeping in front, and the other behind to

jerk the Kite’s tail at a critical moment. I once saw a Crow

snatch food, without artifice, from a Kite, which in this case

was a young bird in immature plumage. I even saw a Kite,

however, behave in a very intelligent way. The bird, an adult,

was feeding on some chicken entrails on the corner of a flat roof,

these trailing a foot from it over the surface of the roof. On the

close approach of two Crows, the Kite stopped eating, and pulled

in the entrails, and packed them under its feet; it then resumed

its meal without concern, while the disappointed Crows flew

away, the Kite’s strategic position 011 the corner of the roof

making a rear attack out of the question.


Marsh Harrier. Circus aerugitiosus.


I once saw a full-plumaged male walking about 011 the

ground looking for food near the water in the Calcutta Botanical

Gardens ; I noticed it particularly, as one seldom sees a hawk

walk much in the wild state, and several naturalists seem to think

that they hop, a gait to which I think they only resort when

wanting to move fast, like the typical Crows and Starlings.


(To be continued].



