Illustrations of Indian Ornithology. 



under the head of the Shaheen, (Plate XII.) Luggurs, as well as Shaheens, are always 

 .caught after they have left the nest and have had some instruction by their parents, 

 our native Falconers considering them better than when taken from the nest, contrary 

 I believe to the opinion of our English Adam Woodcocks. The Luggur appears to 

 inhabit the whole continent of India — and is enumerated among the Hawks used in 

 Scinde by the late Sir A. Burnes. I add a description of the Luggur and of its changes 

 of plumage. 



The young bird, as represented in the accompanying Plate, is throughout of 

 an earth-brown colour, except the superciliary stripe, cheeks, chin, throat, and under- 

 tail coverts, which are of a pale yellowish white colour, more marked in some individuals 

 than in others, and in some of a purer white. The quills are darker than the rest 

 of the plumage, and the tail has sometimes an ashy tinge. The head is usually, though 

 not always, paler, sometimes quite rufous, and the feathers edged with creamy white, 

 and the forehead is generally of this latter tinge. In the second year the brown feathers 

 of the upper plumage are paler and with more of an ashy tinge throughout ; beneath, 

 the feathers of the neck and breast are snow white, with a central brown mark. In 

 the third year still more of the breast, and part of the abdominal feathers become 

 white, with a brown spot, this mark on the upper portion of the breast being now 

 nearly obliterated; the feathers of the back too are now quite cinereous. In the fourth 

 year the breast becomes quite white unspotted, a few brown spots still remaining on 

 the abdomen^which disappear nearly with the next moult. In all the head is paler, 

 sometimes rufous with a few dark lines. The leg feathers also always remain brown. 

 The upper plumage is pale cinereous, usually edged with light brown, and the nape 

 and hind neck always continue brown. The quills have at all ages their inner webs 

 studded with large white spots. In the young bird the cere orbits and legs are light 

 cinereous blue, which afterwards changes to yellow, pale at first, brighter with age. 

 Irides deep brown. 



Length of a female 19 inches — wing \5\ — tail 8 — tarsus 2 — centre toe with 

 claw 2f — weight ftli. The male bird is considerably smaller, but there is not such 

 a difference between the sexes as in the Peregrine and the Shaheen. 



The Hindustani name of this Falcon is Luggur for the female, and Juggur 

 for the male. In Teloogoo it is called Luggadoo evidently the same word. 



Besides the Shaheen, Luggur and Besra, already figured in the present Illustra- 

 tions, the following Hawks are known to, and used by native Falconers. 1st. The 



Bhyree, Falco peregrinus. An abundant visitant to our coasts during the cold season. 



c 



