ASTUK. 119 



attack a man attempting to climb up to the nest. In these woods 

 the Moonal Pheasant is very abundant, and no doubt affords 

 capital quarry for these Hawks." 



Astur trivirgatus (Temm.). The Crested GoshmuJc. 



Astur trivirgatus (Temm.), Jerd. B. hid. \, p. 47; Hume, Cat. 

 no. 22. 



Mr. MandeUi's people found a nest of this species below Man- 

 tchu in Native Sikhim, on the 2nd of May, 1876. The nest «as a 

 large mass of small sticks placed about 40 feet from the ground on 

 a high tree. It contained two fresh eggs. The eggs were perfect 

 and regular o^•als. The shell full of pores and glossless hke a 

 Goshawk's. Held up against the light, it was the usual green. 

 The ground-colour of the egg is a pale greenish white, but the 

 greater part of the egg has been very much soiled and discoloured 

 either in the nest or owing to the eggs not having been blown till 

 they were rotten. 



The eggs measure 2-0 in length by 1'54 in breadth. 



Mr. T. Pulton Bourdillon, writing from Mynall in S. Travan- 

 core, says : — " A nest with two nearly-fledged birds, taken 14th 

 April. The nest was placed in a tree at a distance of 30 or 40 

 feet from the ground. It was loosely constructed and lined with 

 leaves which must have been fresh when the eggs were laid.'' 



Astur badius (Gmel.). The ShUa-a. 



Micronisus badius {Om.), Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 48 ; Hume, Bmigh Draft 

 N. Sr E. no. 23. 



The Shikra breeds pretty well all over the plains of India, and 

 in the Hunalajas up to a height of 5000 feet, or possibly more. I 

 found a nest with young ones many years ago at the back of 

 Landour at fully this elevation ; and writing from Murree, Colonel 

 C. H. T. Marshall remarks : — " On May Ibth I took a nest belong- 

 ing to this species, containing two bluish-white eggs, from the 

 top of a high pine-tree." 



The Shikra lays in April and May, and in the Central Provinces 

 in June also, building for itself a moderately-sized nest on trees, 

 large and lofty ones being, as far as my experience in the plains 

 goes, always selected. 



Writing from Gurhw'al, Mr. Thompson says : — " This is a 

 regular breeder in our forests, and always chooses trees standing 

 on the edges of streams or stagnant pools. The birds are very 

 fond of frogs, which they are constantly stooping at. They are 

 noisy and quarrelsome, if any large bird approaches tlieir nest." 



The nest is usually placed in a fork high up, and near the top 

 of the tree. It is but loosely built of twigs and smaller sticks, 

 lined with fine grass-roots ; is much smaller and less compact than 



