182 Supplement to the Catalogue of the Birds [No. 30. 



and breast become paler by age, almost white indeed ; in a 

 very old bird the chin is pure white. 



31. — The Kestril disappears from the plains of the Penin- 

 sula during the hot weather and monsoon for the purpose of 

 breeding ; but on the Neilgherries it is a permanent resident 

 and breeds in clefts of rocks in March and April. 



33. — The Basha of Indian falconry is undoubtedly, as Mr. 

 Elliot suspected, the European Sparrow-hawk, Accipiter frin- 

 gillarius. I have seen living specimens at Hyderabad, and 

 one now in Mr. Elliot's possession. It is migratory in India, 

 coming in about October and disappearing in February or 

 March. It frequents only the more wooded and hilly dis- 

 tricts, and is most numerous towards the north of the Penin- 

 sula. Many used to be caught annually near Ellichpoor. 



The Basha is highly esteemed by native falconers, being 

 very speedy, and it is flown at partridges, quail, courier 

 plovers, &c. &c. 



No. 35 of my Catalogue, which I erroneously referred to 

 the European Spar rota -hawk, is either the Besra of Indian 

 falconry (No. 34 of the Catalogue) or some closely allied spe- 

 cies, perhaps, as it was named by one Meer shikar to whom I 

 showed it, the Khandesra. It appears to differ from the 

 Besra (a male specimen of which I saw at Madras in a state 

 of moult) in its larger size, and in retaining the upper brown 

 plumage, after the lower parts have assumed their transverse 

 markings, while in the one I saw at Madras, said to be in its 

 first moult, the new feathers were dark cinereous or slaty. 

 Are either of these the Nisus Soloensis of Horsfield ? 



No. 36. The specimen of Goshawk I procured on the 

 Neilgherries is undoubtedly a new species, differing from the 

 Baz in its smaller size. It appears to be the same as one 

 described apparently by Mr. Hodgson in the Bengal Sporting 

 Magazine for 1836, as the Astur Jndicus. 



