76 



Catalogue of the Birds 



[July 



ers. It approaches somewhat to the description of B. albidus, Less. 

 but that is sa«id to be crested, and if so, is more probably a honey-buzzard. 



De script' on. — I possess two specimens differing a good deal from each 

 other,boih of which I shall briefly describe. —The first has general ground 

 tint of a yellowish brown, purest en the head, neck, throat and breast, 

 most of the feathers are centred darker. On the back the tint is nearly 

 lost by the prevalence of the darker shade, an edging of the lighter co- 

 lour only being left ; quills with outer web greyish, inner web blackish 

 from tip to deep sinuosity ; white beyond ; tail reddish grey and indis- 

 tinctly barred. Belly, vent, thigh, coverts, deep auburn brown ; the line of 

 demarcation between this and the lighter tint of the breast strongly and 

 abruptly marked. Cere pale greenish yellow ; hides yellow ; legs dirty 

 yellow; length 26 inches ; wings 18£ ; tail 10; tarsus nearly 4; mid toe 2|. 



My other specimen I at present possess alive, having only very slight- 

 ly wounded it : its head, neck, throaf,breast, and belly are white, streak- 

 ed on some of the feathers with reddish brown ; back, as in the other 

 specimen, but rather lighter ; tail with the outer webs reddish white ; in- 

 ner white, indistinctly and incompletely barred with darker ; cere yel- 

 lowish green; hides pale yellow. This is apparently the younger bird of 

 the two. 



This bird differs from the characters of Bu/eo in its higher bill and 

 larger cere and nostrils. In these respects,as well as in its length of tarsus, 

 it approaches the Circi, but has remarkably short though strong feet and 

 claws, a robuster make, and different habits. Tarsus shielded anteriorly 

 and posteriorly with large and well defined scales ; toes only furnished 

 at their extremity with large scales ; outer and inner toes, without the 

 claws, sub-equal ; wings with 4th quill largest, reaching to end of tail, 

 which is slighfly rounded; four first quills much notched. 



This is certainly a rare bird, l have hitherto only seen it near Jaul- 

 nah, perched on low trees or on the ground, in fields, or near water, and 

 taking a low and short flight to another similar perch. In the stomach 

 of the specimen I shot there was a Gryllota'pa. Mr. Elliot, who met 

 with this species only in Guzrar, says, " This bird evidently preys on the 

 field rats which abound in the sandy soil of this province. He is seen 

 sitting on low trees or bushes, over the rat burrows, and, watching his op- 

 portunity , darts down on his victim. In the stomach of one were the 

 exuvia? of a rat (Arvicola) and a large beetle." He also says, *' eye- 

 brows very prominent ; large eye ; full pupil ; hides pale dun." 



22 — B. ieesa, Gray. — Circus' teesa, Frankl. — F. trivirgatus, Temm.— 

 Astur Hyder, Sykes. — Teesa, H. 



