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on the Himalayas up to about 5000 feet. This Hawk ranges westwards into Southern Persia, 

 north into Central Asia, and eastwards to Siam, Cambodia, and Southern China. At Gilgit, 

 according to Scully, the Shikra is migratory, passing northwards in April, and southwards in 

 September. 



" The Burmese Shikra is a well-marked race, and has been distinguished as A. poliopsis. It 

 is slightly larger on an average, and the male is paler grey above, without any rufescent collar, 

 with the sides of the head greyer, and the median gular stripe faint or wanting. The bars on 

 the lower plumage of adult males, too, are deeper rufous and somewhat broader. But all these 

 peculiarities are to be found in some Southern and Western Indian birds, though not often in 

 the same individual." 



In Ceylon, according to Col. Legge (B. of Ceylon, p. 24), it is " distributed throughout the 

 island, extending into and resident in most parts of the Kandyan Province. On the Nuwara 

 Elliya plateau I have not observed it ; but it is no doubt a visitant to that elevated region during 

 the dry season. It is not uncommon on the Fort MacDonald patnas, and I have procured it on 

 Namooni-Kuli Mountain, near Badulla, which has an elevation of more than 6000 feet ; it is also 

 met with in Dimbulla and the Knuckles district, so that it may be said generally to affect the 

 mountain-zone. In the interior of the lowlands it is resident ; and during the north-east 

 monsoon it is common in the cultivated districts round the sea-coast, taking up its abode in 

 the vicinity of human habitations. It is fond of establishing itself on cliffs, such as those at 

 Trincomalie, and is frequently seen about the i - amparts at Galle and Jaffna. In the early part 

 of May it retires into the interior to breed, and is not seen about its maritime haunts until 

 October. In spite of this local migration to the sea-coast, the Shikra may be found throughout 

 the year, in spots suitable to its habits, in most of the inland districts. In the Eastern Province 

 I found it tolerably frequent in October, but scarcely met with it at all during two trips to the 

 south-eastern forest districts. In the Western Province it is an inhabitant of the cocoa-nut 

 districts bordering the sea-coast, retiring for the most part into the interior, as is the case on the 

 east coast, during the south-west monsoon." 



In general habits the Shikra appears to resemble our European Sparrow-Hawk very closely, 

 and, like that bird, is extremely active and courageous, and will attack birds larger than itself. 

 It frequents all parts of the country where it can obtain food, excepting, perhaps, the dense 

 forest, and is frequently to be seen in the vicinity of human dwellings, where it frequently takes 

 toll from the poultry-yards. It feeds, however, as a rule, on mice, insects, and small reptiles, 

 especially on lizards, but will, according to Dr. Jerdon, attack young Peafowl and small Herons. 

 According to Col. Legge (B. of Ceylon, p. 25) it is a " persistent tormentor of both the Common 

 and the Carrion-Crow in Ceylon, and may often be seen pursuing them high in the air, darting at 

 them from above and beneath, much to the discomforture of the ' Corbies,' who usually escape 

 by a sudden swoop into the trees below. Its flight is a steady, straight-on-end movement, 

 performed with quick beatings of the wings ; but it sometimes soars to a considerable height, 

 making quick circles, and then suddenly swoops down, alighting in an adjacent tree. It is a very 

 noisy bird, making its shrill two-note whistle or scream heard for some distance, and furnishing 

 a capital sound for the clever imitative powers of the Green Bulbul (Pliyllomis jerdoni)." 



According to Mr. Hume, the Shikra breeds pretty well all over the plains of India, and in 



