208 FALCON. 



136— BENGAL FALCON. 



Falco ccerulescens, Ind.Orn.i. p. 50. Lin.Si/st. i. 125. Gm. Lin. \. 285. Daud. ii. 



145. Gerin. Orn. i. p. 44. f. 1. Shaw's Zool. vii. 208. t. 27. 

 Falco Bengalensis, Bris. vi. app. p. 20. Id. 8vo. i. 119. 

 Little black and orange Indian Hawk, Ediv. pi. 108. 

 Bengal Falcon, Gen. Si/n. i. 112. 



THE length of this is only 6Jin. Bill blackish ; cere and eye- 

 lids yellow ; forehead white ; the eye placed in a naked yellow skin, 

 round which is a bed of black, passing downward a little way on 

 each side of the neck, and this again bounded by black; general 

 colour of plumage above purplish black ; beneath orange, paler on 

 the breast; tail black, the two middle feathers plain, the others 

 barred on the inside with white ; legs yellow, claws black. 



Inhabits Bengal. Mr. Edwards observes, that it is feathered 

 below the knees, and, for so small a bird, is remarkably stout, full 

 as much in proportion as in an Eagle, 



Among some Indian drawings, which came under my inspection, 

 is one which I suspect to be the female; length eight inches; bill 

 dusky blue ; plumage dusky black, the edges of the feathers paler, 

 beneath nearly white, with obsolete, pale streaks down the shafts 

 of the feathers, the white taking a cui-ve behind the eye ; four or 

 more, of the middle tail feathers dusky brown black, crossed with 

 five or six pale rufous bars ; and one, or more, of the outer ones 

 liaiTed whitish and ash-colour ; legs blue. 



A — Length 6? inches ; bill and legs dusky; fore part and sides 

 of the head, and all beneath, white, passing round the lower part 

 of the neck as a narrow collar ; hind half of the crown, the nape. 



