5746 Birds. 



a distant plain, I sent ray horse-keeper with the pony to make a cir- 

 cuit, with a view to driving them, if possible, within shot, as they ap- 

 peared much too wild and wary to be approached in the usual manner, 

 and as there was not the least cover of any kind or inequality in the 

 surface of the ground, there was nothing for it but to throw myself flat 

 down, and wait patiently the result of my stratagem. As I lay per- 

 fectly motionless the vultures that had hitherto been eyeing me from 

 a vast height began gradually to descend, contracting their circular 

 sweeps, having apparently satisfied themselves, after passing me in 

 review much in the same manner as I had just done with the deer, 

 that I was fair game, and as we were both intent on catering for our 

 suppers, this was all well enough ; but still there was something rather 

 disagreeable about it, and when first one and then another had alighted 

 within a few yards of me, and still seemed inclined for a closer inspec- 

 tion of the apparently inanimate body, whether fish, flesh or fowl, they 

 appeared all this time to have been puzzling their brains to make out : 

 however,! should soon have undeceived them, and I felt greatly tempted 

 to punish one at least for its audacity, but knowing full well that the 

 loss of all chance of a shot at the deer would undoubtedly have been 

 the consequence, they were allowed, although reluctantly, to soar aloft 

 in quest of other and less dangerous prey ! What the fate of a poor, 

 sick or wounded creature might have been under similar circumstances 

 it is easy to conjecture. 



Pondichery Vulture (Vullur auricularis, Daud.). Not uncommon 

 in the neighbourhood of Trichinopoly, where I have seen them 

 perched on trees, appearing in the distance like turkeys; indeed, 

 their resemblance to that bird is so great that they might easily 

 be mistaken for it by the novice. I found them shy and difficult 

 of approach. 



Kite (Falco milvus). The kite is a very common bird in India, so 

 much so, indeed, that I have frequently seen the vessels at anchor in 

 the Madras roads surrounded by them ; they are neither so trouble- 

 some nor so familiar as the crow, but their audacity is even greater, 

 which the following incident will serve to exemplify ; although I did 

 not witness it I was one of the sufferers by the occurrence, the truth 

 of which I have no reason to doubt, though it may appear somewhat 

 marvellous to those who are only acquainted with the European 

 kite : — When seated at the dinner-table, in readiness for the second 

 course, the excited servants rushed in to inform the company that a 

 thievish and hungry kite had, while one of them was bearing a joint 

 of meat from the cook-house (which is generally a detached building 



