28 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



makes its swoop, which it does with amazing speed. It is indeed 

 a beautiful sight to see this fine bird stoop on a partridge or florikin, 

 which has been flushed at some considerable distance from it, as it 

 often makes a wide circuit round the party. As soon as the Falcon 

 observes the game which has been flushed, it makes two or three 

 onward plunges in its direction, and then darts down obliquely with 

 half-closed wings on the devoted quarry, with more than the velo- 

 city of an arrow. This is of course a very sure and deadly way 

 of hunting, but though infinitely more exciting tlian the flight of 

 short-winged hawks, is certainly not to be compared in interest 

 to the flight of a Blujri from the hand after the heron, or the 

 Douk ( Tantalus leucccephalus). The Sha/tla is usually trained 

 to stoop at partridges and florikin fOtls auritaj, also occasionally at 

 the stone plover (Q^dlcnemus crepitans) and the jungle fowl. It 

 will not hover in the air so long as the Laggar, which being of a 

 more patient and docile disposition, will stay up above an hour. 



Of its range out of India we have at present no correct informa- 

 tion ; but in several works on Falconry, which I have seen in this 

 country, Persian, Toorkisli, and Arabic names are assigned it, so that 

 it may occur in otlier parts of Asia. In these works the name Sha- 

 hin is said to be that by which it is known in Persia, as well as 

 amono- the Mussulmans of India, Kohl beiuir the name f>;iven to it 

 by the Hindoos of the north of India, whence, in all [)robability, 

 conies the name of the male bird in general use, viz., Kocla, or 

 Kvhela, though it is said to be called Shahin hacha in Persia. It 

 is said to bear the name of Lahin in Toorkistan, and Kaharslt in 

 Arabic. Among the localities for it given in the native works of 

 Falconry, are Koordistan, Khorasan, INIoultan, and Cabool. Several 

 varieties are enumerated, viz., the red, the white, the blue, and the 

 black, but these are merely shades of dilicrence in the colors, and 

 in the more or less distinctness of the markings. Tlicse variations 

 however, I may remark, are very considerable in this Falcon, as 

 well as in the Peregrines found in India, and are probably in some 

 measure owing to the long domestication, if I may so speak, of 

 these birds, which arc always liberated by the natives when no 

 longer required, as it is well known that birds moulting in con- 



