24 



ON A SPECIES 



Kite when he uses his best efforts to outfly it. When up with him it darts 

 at his head continually from above — but never — so far as I have seen, 

 actually strikes him. All birds seem afraid of it, and it of none. It is very 

 vivacious, darting about all day, and all night too, when the moon shines. 

 It seems to love dawn, twilight, and moonlight ; and at such times especi- 

 ally continually utters (one bird responsively to another) its agreeable 

 whistling note of two prolonged syllables, which the Hindoostanies fancy 

 they can frame into SMichang ; the Bengalees, into Phingah — ^aud by 

 those names accordingly, the bird is known to them respectively. Strange 

 but true, its note is more pleasing than that of the vulgar Indian Bulhul! 



It nidificates early in June, in the branches of trees, making its nest 

 neatly of small grass roots, and laying usually two or three eggs, which 

 are white, spotted with deep crimson, especially at the broad end. Both 

 sexes tend the young, and most assiduously feed and defend them. 



There is another Shrike found in the Nipaulese Terai and moun- 

 tains, and also in the great valley of Nipal, which bears a strong general 

 — ^but not particular — resemblance to the one above described — but having 

 already. stated that the diagnostics of the modern genera of the Laniidae, 

 are to my eyes very indistinct, I shall not attempt to assign its genus — 

 but briefly describe it by comparison with the foregone. 



It differs in having the upper mandible of the bill laterally compress- 

 ed, and also much more strongly dentated and hooked — in having the 

 tail even at the end and the uppermost pair of feathers longest, the lowest 

 pair, shortest ; and in having twelve, instead of ten feathers, in the tail — • 

 and lastly, in having the shoulders of the wings united in a nearly straight 

 line to the body from the second joint instead of descending in an acute 

 angle towards the first joint. 



