3648 Birds. 



Note on Indian Falconry. — With reference to the notice of Lieut. 

 Burtons work on the ' Falconry of the Valley of the Indus,' in your 

 last number (Zool. 3569), I find the following falcons and hawks enu- 

 merated as being trained in India for this purpose, in Mr. Jerdon's 

 excellent work entitled ' Illustrations of Indian Ornithology,' published 

 at Madras in 1847 ; which information may probably elucidate some 

 of the points in question. The species thus mentioned by Mr. Jerdon 

 are : — 



Falco Peregrinus, .... called in India, Bhyree. 

 „ Peregrinator, .... .... .... Shaheen. 



„ Juggur, Juggur (male), Lug- 



gur (female). 

 Hypotriorchis Chicquera, .... .... Turoomtee. 



Astur Palumbarius, .... .... .... Baz. 



„ trivirgatus vel Indicus, .... .... Gorbesra. 



Accipiter Besra, .... .... .... Besra. 



„ Fringillarius, vel 



Badius, Basha. 



„ Dussumierii (?) .... .... Shikra. 



„ virgatus (?) .... .... .... Khandesra. 



I may add that Mr. Jerdon has the following paragraph in his account 

 of Aquila Bonellii : — " Most native falconers have stories to relate of 

 its having carried off a favourite hawk;" — a statement bearing strong 

 resemblance to that made to Lieut. Burton respecting the vulture re- 

 ferred to in his work. — J. H. Gurnet/ ; Easton, September 24, 1852. 



Note on the Habits of ili§ Fern Owl or Goat-sucker, (Caprimulgus 

 Europaeus). By Mr. W. H. Thomas, late Bird-keeper at the 

 Surrey Zoological Gardens, and Zoological Society of London. 



One sultry day, about the beginning of July, 1832, I was roaming 

 through Dulwich Wood, which, at that time, was thickly clothed 

 with underwood, with here and there dense clumps of tall furze, and 

 sloe and hawthorn bushes. I had lost all trace of a pathway, and had 

 been wading through the close shrubs for some time, when I suddenly 

 came to an open part of the wood, of small space, and almost directly 

 from under my feet up flew a bird in my face. So sudden and noise- 

 less was its flight that I was at first startled ; it flew close round me 

 in a light swallow-like manner, displaying ridiculous gestures, opening 



