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about equal to the expanse of wings of the bird sought for. The ends of the stick are smeared with bird- 

 lime for several inches, and a living bird is tied to the centre of it. On observing the hawk, the bird, 

 which has its eyes sewn up to make it soar, is let loose, and the falcon pounces on and attempts to carrv it 

 off, when the ends of its wings strike the limed twig, and it falls to the ground. The birds usually selected 

 for this purpose are doves, either Turtur risorius or T. humilis. 



' The Shaheen is always trained for what in the language of Falconry is called a standing gait, that is, 

 not slipped from the hand at a quarry, but made to hover and circle high in the air over the falconer and 

 party, until the game is started, and then to make 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 con- 

 siderable 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 velocity of an arrow. This 

 is of course a very sure and deadly way of hunting, and, though infinitely more exciting than the flight of 

 short-winged hawks, is certainly not to be compared in interest to the flight of a Bhyree (Peregrine) from 

 the hand after the heron, or the douk {Tantalus kucocephalus). The Shaheen is usually trained to stoop at 

 partridges and florikin {Otis auritd), and occasionally at the stone plover (JEdicnemus crepitans) and the 

 jungle fowl. It will not hover in the air so long as the Lugger, another large falcon used by the natives, 

 which, being of a more patient and docile disposition, will stay up above an hour. 



" In the works on Falconry before alluded to, the name Shaheen is said to be that by which it is known 

 in Persia, as well as among the Mussulmen of India. Kohee is the name given to it by the Hindoos of the 

 North of India, whence, in all probability, comes the name of the male bird in general use, viz. Koela or 

 Kohela,— though it is said to be called Shaheen Bucha in Persia; it is also said to bear the name of Laheen 

 in Toorkistan, and Kubursh in Arabic. Among the localities given for it in the native works on Falconry 

 are Koordistan, Khorasan, Moultan, and Cabool. Several varieties are enumerated, viz. the red, the white, 

 the blue, and the black ; but these are merely shades of difference in the colours and in the more or 

 less distinctness of the markings. These variations, 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, as it is well-known that birds moulting in confinement vary somewhat in 

 the shades of their plumage from those subject to the more vigorous actions of a wild state of life." 



The male has the head, line beneath the eye, the moustache, back, wings and tail dark slaty brown ; the 

 feathers at the back of the neck stained with rufous, forming a semi-collar ; primaries and secondaries 

 slightly margined at the tip with dull reddish brown, and crossed on the basal three-fourths of their inner 

 webs with broad marks or bands of buff; rump and upper tail-coverts grey, with darker shafts; two centre 

 tail-feathers crossed with faint bands of greyish buff, the remainder with broader and more conspicuous 

 bands of buff, with a wash of grey on those nearest the base of the feathers ; all the feathers tipped with 

 buff; throat, breast and ear-coverts white, gradually blending with the rusty red which occupies the whole 

 of the under surface ; the feathers of the breast, abdomen and flanks with a streak of brownish black down 

 the centre, becoming broader towards the tip, and gradually increasing in size, until on the flank feathers 

 the marks assume a triangular or transverse form ; under surface of the wing deep buff, crossed by irregular 

 bands of blackish brown ; orbits, cere, and base of the mandibles pale yellow ; legs and feet deep yellow; 

 bill dark horn-colour ; claws black ; irides dark hazel. 



A young female in Mr. Jerdon's possession differed from the male in having the chin, throat and cheeks 

 white, the rufous edgings of the feathers very indistinct, and the general plumage of a darker hue 



" After the first moult," says Mr. Jerdon, « the markings of the lower surface disappear, except a few on 

 the lower part of the abdomen and legs, the plumage of the upper surface becomes of a more bluish tinge 

 and the edgings and barrings disappear ; with further moultings the shade of the upper surface becomes still 

 lighter, and of a slaty blue, the markings beneath vanish entirely, and the rufous tint of the breast becomes 

 paler." 



The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size, from a spirited sketch by Mr. Wolf- the fWre of 

 the male being that of a bird not quite mature. & 



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