76 
Birds of flic Jlivlmn District. 
Some four or five Hawks were seen flying separately 
high in the air, all following the same line, namely, due 
south ; they were apparently Common Kestrels (Tinniinculus 
alandarins ) on migration. [Several Black Ibis seen. 
A nest with naked young of Franklinia buchanani 
found in a low thorn bush, about 1^ feet from the ground. 
Oelobci 12. — Moved to Sirsa in the north-western portion of Hissar 
District, which is now to be my headquarters. Sirsa was 
formerlj" the headquarters of a separate district of that 
name, and will be remembered as the part of the Punjab 
where Mr. Hume did so much collecting. 
In my bungalow at Sirsa I found a Ivittle Brown 
Dove (Tiirtiir cainhaicnsis) sitting on two incubated eggs 
in a nest placed on a rolled-up chick in the verandah. A 
young bird flew from this nest on the 29th of the month. 
A pair of Magpie Robins {Copsychiis saidaris) are also 
haunting the bungalow . 
The White Ibis ilhis vulanoccphali(s') is now common 
about Sirsa. 
Octooer 14. — Several Tawny Pipit-s (Anfhus campcutris) met with. Small 
parties were to be found during the remainder of the month. 
At the carcase of a Pariah dog which I had shot I noticed 
a King Vulture (Otogi/ps calvus), a White-backed Vulture 
(Psmdogyps hcngalensis) and an Egyptian Vulture {Neo- 
phron pcrcnoptcrus) . 
October 15. — Three Black-winged Kites {Elmuis cacnilcus) were no- 
ticed hovering and flying about near the Bungalow, and 
my men found that a pair of them had a nest close by . 
A party of a dozen odd Wood Sandpipers (Tetanus 
glarcola) found feeding in a ploughed field, which had 
been flooded by heavy rain in the night. 
A Eaven noted, and an occasional single bird or pair 
noted on various dates during the next few weeks. 
October 16. — In the early morning my Falconer, and orderly, and 
myself went out to a bare stretch of ground near the 
house to exercise various trained Peregrines and Barbary 
Falcons . During the operations of flying and feeding the 
Falcons we were much hampered by several Kites (Milviis 
govinda) which would soar over our heads and give chase 
to the Falcons, making themselves such a nuisance in 
general that I had to send for a gun and .shoot at a 
couple of them. A fine wild adult Peregrine Falcon, and an 
immature Lugger Falcon (Faico jugger) came \ip, at- 
tracted by our proceedings, and a Eingtail Harrier, perhaps 
Circus macrurus, and another bird apparently Butco jcrox 
passed by close. A Red-headed Merlin also dashed across 
our field of operations, and in some trees near by there 
was a Shikra Hawk {Astur hadius). 
