BUTEONIN^. 93 



The Teesa is spread over great part of India, very abundant in 

 some districts, in fewer numbers towards the south, and rare in 

 the moist and wooded provinces of Malabar and Lower Bengal, but 

 found in Assam, Burmah, and Malajana. 



The white-eyed Buzzard frequents both cultivated ground, bare 

 open plains, and low jungle. It may be seen seated on trees, 

 bushes, ant-hills, and river banks, whence it pounces on rats or 

 mice, lizards, small snakes, frogs, crabs, and large insects. Now 

 and then it may manage to seize a young or sickly bird, but I have 

 never witnessed this myself. Mr. Burgess states that he took 

 from one the remains of a full-grown quail. 



The flight of this Buzzard is tolerably rapid, performed by 

 repeated and rapid strokes of the wings, and is very much like that 

 of the Kestril, for which at a distance I have sometimes mistaken 

 it. It flies generally low and close to the ground. It not unfre- 

 quently runs along the ground for a few yards, and I have 

 seen it run up to and seize an insect. I have sometimes seen one take 

 a more extended flight than usual over a grass rumna, keeping low 

 down, but rising every now and then, and occasionally capturino- a 

 locust on the wing. It has a very peculiar plaintive cry, which it is 

 frequently heard uttering, and in confinement it is very noisy, and 

 easily domesticated. 



The Teesa breeds on trees, laying usually 4 white eggs, in April 

 and May. Burgess, indeed, states that the eggs he met with were 

 white, spotted and daubed with brown; but I have always found them 

 white, barely sullied sometimes with faint marks. Two or three 

 other species of Poliornis are recorded from Malayana, one of 

 them, at all events, doubtfully distinct from our Indian bird. 



Gen. Aechibuteo, Brehm. 

 Syn. Butaetus, Lesson. 



Char. — ^Very similar to Buteo, but with the tarsi feathered to 

 the toes, and somewhat lengthened. 



This genus was founded on the European rough-legged Buzzard, 

 A. lagopiis, and only contains two or three species. 



