Indian Birds 
The Birds of Prey, 146-162 
This large family is composed of birds which 
bear so strong a family likeness that it is almost 
impossible to describe them in such a way as 
to enable the reader to identify them at sight. 
As with the owls, birds of prey are easily 
recognised as such, but to name any particular 
species baffles even professed ornithologists. 
To try to make out the raptores by their 
colour is, to use the words of Eha, “at the 
best a short road to despair. Naturalists learn 
to recognise them as David’s watchman recog- 
nised the courier who brought tidings of the 
victory over Absalom. ‘ His running is like the 
running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok.’ Every 
bird of prey has its own character, some trick 
of flight, something in its figure and propor- 
tions which serves to distinguish it decisively.” 
What precisely this something is I am not in 
most cases able to state. I trust that before 
long Mr. C. H. Donald, or some other Indian 
falconer, will give us a little handbook on the 
birds of prey of this country. For my part I 
am able merely to attempt a description of two 
or three of the very commonest forms. 
180 
