ie MALAYAN ORNITHOLOGY. 
Across the wings, from tip to tip, they measured slightly under 
7 feet; irides dark brown; legs, bare skin of head and neck black. 
MIcROHTERAX FRINGILLARIUS (Drap.). 
This tiny Falcon, not much larger than a Sparrow, is plentiful 
in the South of the peninsula, and on the island of Singapore. 
I noticed it was particularly fond of perching on the upper 
branches of dead trees, from its elevated position making short 
flights into the air after beetles and other insects, but each time 
returning to the same bough, after the manner of the Flycatchers. 
One afternoon, near Tanglin, Singapore, I stood within a few 
yards of one of these Falcons, and watched it feeding on a large 
beetle, which it held firmly in one foot and tore to pieces with its 
strongly notched beak. Possibly they sometimes prey on small 
birds ; but they themselves are so small that I doubt if they could 
kill any thing more powerful than a Sun-bird or small Warbler. 
Certainly, as a rule, they are insectivorous; for I have dissected 
several, and in every case the stomach contained only fragments 
of beetles, dragonflies, and other things of a like nature. no bones 
of mice or small birds. 
The sexes appear to be of similar plumage, in colour a deep 
blue-black, marked on the face and wings with white, the under- 
parts are also white ; length between 6 and 7 inches. 
BuvastuR Inpicus (Gm.). 
Fhe only one I obtained I shot near Kota Lama, Perak on Fe. 
bruary 17, 1877. I had just killed a Snipe: and at the report of 
my gun this bird rose from the topmost limb of a large tree, and, 
passing within range, fell to my second barrel. 
ACCIPITER viRGATUS (Temm.). 
The Besra Sparrow-hawk appears to be migratory, as, though 
eommon in Singapore during Octoberand November, I did not meet 
with it at any other time of year, and a friend who, early in No- 
vember, was a passenger on one of the small steamers plying be- 
tween Sarawak and Singapore, informed me that when near the 
latter place fifteen or twenty of these little Hawks settled on the 
rigging ; and being weary, seven of them were easily caught by the 
seamen. 
My first acquaintance with the species was from seeimg one 
