MICEOHIBEAX. 183 



Subfamily FALCONING. 



Microhierax cserulescens (Linn.). The Bed-legged Falconet. 



Hierax eutolmos, Hodgs., Jerd. B. hid. i, p. 42. 

 Microhierax cserulescens [Linn.), Hume, Cat. no. 20. 



Major 0. T. Bingham found a nest of this small Falcon in 

 Tenasserim. He writes : — " On the 14th April I found a nest of 

 this little Falconet in a hole on the underside of a decayed bough 

 of a mighty pymma-tree (Lagerstrcemia Jlos regina). 



" I had noticed the bird about the neighbouring trees for two 

 or three days successively, and on the date above mentioned saw 

 her entering the hole in question. 



" Oq my sending up a servant who "was with me, she flew out 

 and perched on a low tree some thirty yards off ; keeping my eye on 

 her, I desired the man to enlarge the entrance of the hole and 

 ascertain whether there were any eggs. In about ten minutes he 

 announced that there were four. I then shot the bird, which 

 proved to be a female. The eggs are broad ovals, dirty whitish 

 yellow, and stained by resting oa the broken lea\'es, wings of 

 dragon-flies, and bits of wood which composed the nest. I don't 

 think the hole was made by the little Falcon, but was probably an 

 old nest belonging to a Barbet. The branch in which it was ex- 

 cavated was about 30 feet from the ground." 



The eggs are regular, moderately elongated ovals. The shell is 

 very thin and fairly close in texture, but has no appreciable 

 gloss. The original colour, as I ascertained by carefully washing 

 a part of one egg, is a dead white, but the eggs as found were all 

 suffused with a dirty yellow tint, such as is often the case with 

 the very similar eggs of Oentrococcy.v and Taecoeua. Held up 

 against the light, the shell appears a very slightly yellowish 

 white. 



The eggs vary from I'l to 1'3 in length, and from 0-85 to 0'88 

 ill breadth. They are equally unlike eggs of Falco, Asfur, and 

 Circus. I know no Eaptorial bird that lays at all similar eggs. 

 As to size and shape, I can match them exactly with large eggs of 

 Cyanops franlclini, or small ones of M. marshallorum, but the 

 texture is different ; as regards texture and tint of discoloration, 

 I can match them exactly with some eggs of Taecoeua affinii. 



Microhierax fringillarius (Drap.). The Blaclc-legged Falconet. 

 Microhierax friugillarius {Drap.), Hume, Cat. no. 20ter. 



In regard to this Falconet I quote a note of Mr. Davison's : — ■ 

 " On the 10th or 11th of March, while passing through an old 

 tounyah (clearing) I saw a Falconet of the above species fly into 



