114 Observations regarding some species of birds. [No. 2, 



Turning now to some of the species separately enumerated, I 

 note : — 



18. Tinnunculus Cenchris. — This species may be at once discrimi- 

 nated from T. alaudarius by the colour of its claws. These are 

 black in the last named species, white or yellowish white in T. 

 Cenchris. 



50. Circus cganeus. — It is impossible ever to confound this 

 species with C. Swainsoni, the pure white upper tail coverts, at all 

 ages and in both sexes, suffice, as Col. Sykes long ago pointed 

 out, to separate the European Hen Harrier from the pale-chested 

 Harrier. I have specimens from near Indore and have seen others 

 from near Jhansee. 



53. Circus melanoleucus. — I agree with Mr. Blanford that 

 this bird never occurs, except perhaps as an isolated straggler, in 

 Northern or Western India ; my specimens, and all in fact that I 

 have yet seen, were from lower Bengal, Assam and Tippera. 



56, bis.— Ililvus mclanotes ? I have or have had several speci- 

 mens, young and old, of the large kite referred to by Mr. Blan- 

 ford ; males with the wing 20 inches and upwards and females 

 with the wing up to 22. The young, so far as plumage goes, 

 correspond exactly with Gustav Radde's figure of the 

 young of Milvus melanotes, and hitherto I have been inclined to 

 identify our large Indian race with this species. In Part II of my 

 u Rough Notes," I hope to discuss this question more fully. 



104. Dendrochelidon coronata, though locally distributed is by no 

 means a rare or uncommon bird. It breeds freely, to my certain 

 knowledge, in the sub-Himalayan track, below Kiimaon and Gurh- 

 wal, in parts of the Mirzapiir district, in the Mandla district of the 

 Central Provinces, (from which locality Mr. R. Thompson sent me 

 an exquisite little nest), in the Nilgherries (whence also I have re- 

 ceived its egg) and Ceylon, and many other localities too numerous 

 to record here. 



95. Acanthjlis sylvatica. I also have never obtained specimens 

 of this bird from the Central Provinces. I have them, however, 

 from Conoor (Nilgherries) and Gfurhwal, in which latter locality 

 they are common. 



631. Zosterops palpelrosus. — This species is anything but rare 



