ORD. RAPTORES. 



FAM. FALCONIN^^. 



GEN. FALCO. 



PLATE XLIV. 



FALCO LUGGUR. 



THE LUGGUR FALCON. 



Synon. — F. juggur — Gray — Haidwicke's 111. Ind. Zool. 2 — 26. F. thermophilus, Hodgs., 



Gray's Zool. Misc. 



I HAVE already in these Illustrations figured two states of plumage of a 

 fine Falcon, (the Shaheen,) and I now give a drawing of another equally large, much 

 more common, and held in less estimation by the Natives. Whilst the Bhyree (F. 

 peregrinus,) prefers the sea coast and the neighbourhood of lakes, rivers, and Avet 

 cultivation, and the Shaheen (F. peregrinator) delights in hilly and wooded regions, 

 the Luggur, on the contrary, frequents open dry ])laius, and vicinity of cultivation. 

 It makes its nest in some lofty tree, generally one standing alone among some grain 

 fields, and lays four eggs. In a wild state it preys on a great variety of small birds, 

 often snatching up a chicken, even in the midst of a Cantonment. It is trained to 

 hunt Crows, Paddj--birds, Partridges and Florikin; and, it is said, has been trained 

 to kill the Heron, A. cinerea. 



In hawking Crows, C, culminatus chieflj-, it is slipped from the hand ; and 

 the Crow, when aware of its danger, uses every artifice to escape, taking refuge among 

 cattle, horses, vehicles, and even entering houses. I once had a Luggur whose wing- 

 feathers were burnt off by a washerman's fire, close to which the Crow was attempting 

 to take refuge when it was struck. After Paddy-birds (Ardea huhulcus) it is also 

 slipped from the hand, and as this bird is always found on the plains feeding among 

 herds of cattle, it affords considerable sport by its dexterity in diving among and under 

 the cattle, and the venturotis Hawk is occasionally trodden under the feet of the cattle. 

 When the quarry is a Partridge or a Florikin the standing gait is used as described 



