The ends of the stick are smeared with bird-

about equal to the expanse of wings of the bird sought for.
On observing the hawk, the bird,

lime for several inches, and a living bird is tied to the centre of it.
which has its eyes sewn up to make it soar, is let loose, and the falcon pounces on and attempts to carry it
off, when the ends of its wings strike the limed twig, and it falls to the ground. The birds usually selected
for this purpose are doves, either Turtur risorius or T. humilis.

“The Shaheen is always trained for what in the language of Falconry is called a standing gait, that is,
not slipped from the hand at a quarry, but made to hover and circle high in the air over the falconer and
party, until the game is started, and then to make its swoop, which it does with amazing speed. It is, indeed,
a beautiful sight to see this fine bird stoop on a partridge or florikin, which has been flushed at some con-
siderable distance from it, as it often makes a wide circuit round the party. As soon as the falcon observes
the game which has been flushed, it makes two or three onward plunges in its direction, and then darts
down obliquely with half-closed wings on the devoted quarry with more than the velocity of an arrow. This
is of course a very sure and deadly way of hunting, and, though infinitely more exciting than the flight of
short-winged hawks, is certainly not to be compared in interest to the flight of a Bhyree (Peregrine) from
the hand after the heron, or the douk (Tantalus leucocephalus). The Shaheen is usually trained to stoop at
partridges and florikin (O¢és aurita), and occasionally at the stone plover (Gidicnemus crepitans) and the
jungle fowl. It will not hover in the air so long as the Lugger, another large falcon used by the natives,
which, being of a more patient and docile disposition, will stay up above an hour.

‘In the works on Falconry before alluded to, the name Shaheen is said to be that by which it is known
in Persia, as well as among the Mussulmen of India. Ao/ee is the name given to it by the Hindoos of the
North of India, whence, in all probability, comes the name of the male bird in general use, viz. Koé/a or
Kohela,—though it is said to be called Shaheen Bucha in Persia; it is also said to bear the name of Laheen
in Toorkistan, and Kudursh in Arabic. Among the localities given for it in the native works on Falconry
are Koordistan, Khorasan, Moultan, and Cabool. Several varieties are enumerated, viz. the red, the white,
the blue, and the black; but these are merely shades of difference in the colours and in the more or
less distinctness of the markings. These variations, I may remark, are very considerable in this Falcon, as

well as in the Peregrines found in India, and are probably in some measure owing to the long domestication,

if I may so speak, of these birds, as it is well-known that birds moulting im confinement vary somewhat in
the shades of their plumage from those subject to the more vigorous actions of a wild state of life.”

The male has the head, line beneath the eye, the moustache, back, wings and tail dark slaty brown ; the
feathers at the back of the neck stained with rufous, forming a semi-collar; primaries and secondaries
slightly margined at the tip with dull reddish brown, and crossed on the basal three-fourths of their inner
webs with broad marks or bands of buff; rump and upper tail-coverts grey, with darker shafts; two centre
tail-feathers crossed with faint bands of greyish buff, the remainder with broader and more conspicuous
bands of buff, with a wash of grey on those nearest the base of the feathers; all the feathers tipped with
buff; throat, breast and ear-coverts white, gradually blending with the rusty red which occupies the whole
of the under surface ; the feathers of the breast, abdomen and flanks with a streak of brownish black down
the centre, becoming broader towards the tip, and gradually increasing in size, until on the flank feathers
the marks assume a triangular or transverse form; under surface of the wing deep buff, crossed by irregular
bands of blackish brown ; orbits, cere, and base of the mandibles pale yellow ; legs and feet deep yellow ;
bill dark horn-colour ; claws black ; irides dark hazel.

A young female in Mr. Jerdon’s possession differed from the male in having the chin, throat and cheeks
white, the rufous edgings of the feathers very indistinct, and the general plumage of a darker hue.

‘« After the first moult,” says Mr. Jerdon, “the markings of the lower surface disappear, except a few on
the lower part of the abdomen and legs, the plumage of the upper surface becomes of a more bluish tinge,
and the edgings and barrings disappear ; with further moultings the shade of the upper surface becomes still
lighter, and of a slaty blue, the markings beneath vanish entirely, and the rufous tint of the breast becomes
paler.”

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size, from a spirited sketch by Mr. Wolf; the figure of
the male being that of a bird not quite mature.