] 845.] a History of Sindh. 1 73 



the dead. And the known customs of the Oriental writers of history, of 

 publishing their works only after reading them to circles of the learned, 

 would have furnished him with many facts, illustrations and corrections, 

 which oral tradition had brought down, and which the stores of written 

 knowledge then undoubtedly existing at all the courts of the Kalifat 

 probably contained. 



Our readers will thus, we hope, agree with them in their judgment that, 

 as an historical reference, this translation is alike curious and useful, and 

 they could not have given it otherwise than by printing it entire. 



Eds. 



Notices and Descriptions of various New or Little Known species of 

 jBirds, by Ed. Blyth, Curator of the Asiatic Society's Museum. 



Nisaetus alboniger, nobis. A smaller species than either of those 

 of India, measuring about twenty-one inches and a half in length, 

 wing thirteen inches, and tail nine and a half ; tarse three inches : 

 occipital crest three inches and a quarter. Adult black above, with a 

 purple gloss, the large alars embrowned and distantly banded with black ; 

 tail black, with a broad light greyish- brown bar, occupying about its third 

 quarter from the base ; the longer upper tail-coverts have each two 

 cross-bands of the same ; lower parts pure white, with black mesial 

 line on throat, large intense black drops on the breast, and the belly, 

 vent, lower tail-coverts, tibial plumes, and short tarsal feathers, are 

 throughout closely barred black and white : beak black ; and toes wax- 

 yellow. A younger specimen has the drops fewer and smaller on 

 the breast, an admixture of rufous about the head, several unmoult- 

 ed brown feathers among the wing-coverts, and one unmoulted tail- 

 feather has three narrowish dark bars, with two more at base closer 

 and less defined. A remarkably handsome species, from Malacca. 



Of the four Indian species of this genus, N. alboniger approaches 

 nearest to N. cirratus, (Ray, Shaw,) v. Falco cristatellus, Tem. ; and 

 I doubt whether either of these becomes wholly black with age, like 



