282



Sydney Porter—Wanderings in the Far East



the nest is often built among the branches in the aviary without artificial

framework. Grass seems to be the material mostly used.”


The Long-tailed Grassfinch inhabits North and North-West

Australia. The young are much greyer than their parents, and have-

black bills and feet.


B. F. C.



WANDERINGS IN THE FAR EAST


By Sydney Porter

{Continued from p. 244)


The most conspicuous bird around the coasts and in fact anywhere-

in Malaya is the beautiful Brahminy Kite ( Haliastur indus intermedins ),

a large Hawk, with the head and breast pure white and the rest of the

body a rich chestnut. Its shrill screaming can be heard throughout

the day and so loud are the cries that in the mangrove swamps where

there are many of these birds, the noise drowns the sound of the smaller

fry. These Hawks wheel around in the sky with outstretched, motion¬

less pinions on the look out for any odd bits of meaty refuse or garbage.

Around some of the harbours one sees large numbers of these birds,

though in the larger towns they are decreasing as they form an easy

target for the thoughtless wretch with a gun who makes the excuse

that it is a bird of prey to slaughter it. I doubt if ever these birds

kill anything alive, preferring to live like Vultures on garbage and

carrion at which they are adepts in snatching ofi the surface of the

water with their feet. They will follow ships for miles in the hope

of obtaining meat thrown overboard. The nests of these Kites are very

conspicuous objects on the landscape and are usually built high up

in some lone half-dead or dead forest tree which has been left standing

when the rest of the jungle has been cleared away. Another Kite

sometimes seen in the company of the foregoing is the White Kite

(.Elanus cseruleus). This is a much smaller bird and is only a migrant

to Malaya. Around the swamps, especially at the mouths of the

creeks, one sees small flocks of the lovely Kesident Malay Coast Swallow

(Hirundo javanica anambensis), a long, cumbersome name for such a



