22 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Adult. — Above deep bluish grey, most of tlie feathers Avith 

 some dark markings ; head, nape, and moustache darker, rump 

 and upper tail coverts much ligliter ; wings blackish brown, more 

 or less spotted or barred with white on the inner web ; tail grey, 

 with some dark bands, and a pale tip. Beneath chin and throat 

 pure white ; breast white, with a few narrow longitudinal streaks, 

 almost disappearing in old individuals ; abdomen with some small 

 heart-shaped spots ; flanks and thigh coverts with dark, transverse 

 bars. Inner wing coverts white, with numerous well-marked dark 

 cross bars. 



Bill bluish, black at tip, cere yellow ; legs and feet yellow. 



Length of a female about 19 inches ; wing 14^, reaching nearly 

 to the end of tail, which is 6| ; tarsus 2^ ; mid toe and claw nearly 3. 



Length of a male about 15| to 16 ; wing 12;^ ; tail 5|. 



At each successive moult from the plumage of the young bird 

 the feathers of the upper parts become more grey (losing their 

 light edges at the first moult), gradually increase in depth of colour 

 and get dark markings ; whilst in those of the under-parts, the dark 

 oval spots gi'adually disappear on the throat and breast, or merely 

 remain as narrow lines, whilst on the abdomen and flanks they are 

 changed into small oval spots and narrow cross bars. 



It is still undecided whether to look on the Bhi/ri as a distinct 

 species from the European Peregrine, or to class it as a slight 

 climatal variety. Blyth, Gray and Horsfield, in their respective 

 Catalogues, considered them the same. Of late it appears that Mr. 

 Gould considers them now as specifically distinct, retaining Latham's 

 name, Calidus, for the Indian Bird; and in this he is followed by 

 other ornithologists. Mr. Blyth, on comparing specimens of both 

 countries, says that the European Peregrine has always more rufous 

 color on the lower parts than the Bhyri, and that the cross bars are 

 much larger and stronger. Mr. Blyth further says that the breast 

 of the European hawk is more conspicuously spotted (but this 

 may disappear with age) ; and that the Bhyri has much more and 

 brighter yellow upon the cere and base of bill. "The difference," 

 says that gentleman, "altogether amounts to this, that adults at least 

 may readily be distinguished at the first glance." Very closely 



