420 Catalogue of Birds of the Raptorial and [Aug. 



Colonel Sykes, nevertheless, mentions his being in possession of a male bird 

 exactly like the female of the Kestril in plumage and size, and, consequently, 

 larger than the male Kestril : and as this was shot from a party of five or six, 

 perched on the same tree, and without a male Kestril in company, he is induced 

 to believe there is a distinct species, in which both sexes have the plumage of 

 the female European Kestril. Remains of rats, mice, lizards, grasshoppers, and 

 a bird, were found in the stomach of several specimens. In one stomach the re- 

 mains of no less than four lizards were met with. 



14. Falco Chicquera. Lath. Le Chicquera, Le Vaill., Ois. d'Afr. pi. 22. 



Irides sanguineous. A common bird in the Dakhan. Sexes alike in plumage. 

 Female usually the larger bird ; but Colonel Sykes has a male quite as large as any 

 female. A sparrow was found in the stomach of one male bird, and a young bat 

 in the stomach of another. 



Sub-Fam. Buteonina. Buzzards. 

 Genus Circus, Auct. Harrier. 



15. Circus pallidus. Circ. pallide griseus, alis dorsoque safuratioribus ; subtus 

 albus , uropygio albo, griseo fasciatim notato ; rectricibus, duabus mediis exceptis, 

 griseo alboque fasciatis ; remigibus tertid quartd quint dque fuscis. 



Irides viridi-flavse. $ . Lougitudo corporis 19§unc, caudee 9§ ; 9 corporis 21 f; 

 cauda 10. 

 This bird has usually been considered the Circ. eyaneus of Europe ; but it differs in 

 the shade of its plumage (male and female) ; in the back -head of the male not 

 being white spotted with pale brown ; in the absence of dusky streaks on the 

 breast ; in the rump and upper tail- coverts being white barred with brown ash ; 

 in the inner webs of four of the tail-feathers not being white ; and in the bars 

 of the under tail being seven instead of four. The female resembles the female 

 of Circ. eyaneus, but the plumage is two shades lighter, the tail is barred with 

 six broad fuscous bars, instead of four, and the tail-feathers are much more 

 pointed. The remains of six lizards were found in the stomach of one bird. 

 Colonel Sykes never saw these birds perch on trees. They frequent the open 

 stony plains only. The sexes were never seen together. 



16. Circus variegatus. Circ. capite supra, nuchd, ptilis, pectoreque rufis, plumis 

 in medio late brunneis ; dorso scapularibus, remigibusque externis intense brunneis ; 



jpteromatibus, remigibus internis, candaque griseis ; abdomine femorumque tectricibus 

 rufis ; caudee tectricibus superioribus rufo albo brunneoque, inferioribus grisee satu- 

 ratiore,notatis. Longitudo corporis 21 unc, caudee 10. 

 This is a very remarkable bird, and in its plumage seems to possess much of the 

 united characters of the sexes of this genus, which are known generally to exhi- 

 bit a marked difference. Colonel Sykes possesses but one specimen, a male. 



Sub-Fam. Milvina. 

 Genus Milvus, Auct. Kite. 



17. Milvus Govinda. Milv. capite, nucha, corporeque subtus rufescenti-brunneis, 

 plumis in medio fusco lineal 'is ; dorso, alis, cauddque satis furcatd saturate brunneis t 

 illarum pteromatibus pallidioribus, hdc fusco obsolete fasciato. 



Longitudo corporis 26 unc, caudee 11. 

 This bird differs from the Falco Cheele in the want of white spots on the wing-coverts, 

 ■white before the eyes, and white bar on the tail ; in having the inner webs of the 

 tail-feathers barred with numerous narrow bars, and in the shafts of the feathers 

 about the head and neck, and generally underneath, being very dark. Sexes 

 alike. Constantly soaring in the air in circles ; watching an opportunity to dart 

 upon a chicken, upon refuse animal matter thrown from the cook-room, and 

 occasionally even having the hardihood to stoop at a dish of meat carrying from 

 the cook-room to the house. 



Fam. Strigidee, Leach. — Genus Otus, Cuv. 



18. Ot. Bengalensis, Franklin, Proceed. Zool. Soc. I. p. 115, Goobur of the Mahrattas. 

 Irides, external margin dark orange, gradually changing to yellow at the internal 



margin. Very common in the Dakhan. Generally found on the open rocky 

 plains. A whole rat, (the tail hanging out of the mouth, and the head and most 

 part of the body in the stomach, and partly decomposed,) was found in one bird : 

 another had a crab, a third a pastor ,• but the usual food appeared to be rats. 



Genus Strix, Auct. 



19. Strix Javanicd, Horsf. 



Although at a superficial view this species appears to be the barn-door Owl of Europe 

 (Strix fiammea), a comparison of several specimens with the European bird satis- 

 fies Colonel Sykes that Dr. Horsfield was right in separating it. Neither 

 sex is unspotted white underneath, nor has the Indian species a white disc. Sexes 



