LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD. 95 



was a cricket. Mr. Elliott, who met with this species 

 only in Guzerat, says: — 'This bird evidently preys on 

 field-rats which abound in the sandy soil of this province. 

 He is seen sitting on low trees or bushes over the 

 rat-burrows, and, watching his opportunity, darts down 

 on his victim. In the stomach of one were the exuvice 

 of a rat, and a large beetle.' " 



Mr. Hodgson writes: — "These birds are very common 

 in the central and northern hilly regions of Nepal, 

 but I never procured one from below. It adheres to 

 the woods when the crops are up, but after harvest 

 comes into the open country, and is seen perpetually 

 perched on a clod and looking out for snakes, which 

 constitute its chief food. It also preys on rats and 

 mice, and on quails, snipes, and partridges, but is 

 reduced to take the birds on the ground. I have seen 

 it, however, make a splendid stoop at a quail, which, 

 after being flushed, chanced to alight on a bare spot, 

 so as to be visible to the bird as he followed it with 

 his eye on the wing, and marked it settle. Teal, and 

 even ducks are frequently slain by our bird in the 

 same way. If he can perceive them take wing, even 

 at half a mile's distance, he is up with them in an 

 instant, and is sure to capture them, unless they are 

 under cover in a moment after they touch the earth." 



An adult male in the Norwich Museum has the 

 head, nape, throat, belly, and under tail coverts dirty 

 white, with ferruginous and brown markings on the 

 head and neck. Thighs chesnut brown. Back light 

 ferruginous, with dark centres to each feather. Upper 

 wing coverts hair-brown; primaries, externally ash- 

 brown, terminating in dark brown; the upper and 

 inner half of each barb white. Tail feathers cinnamon 

 brown, lighter in the centre, and barred slightly above, 



