IRE BIRDS OF PREY OF THE PUNJAB. 



1007 



The genera are all well defined and the species, with one or two ex- 

 ceptions, should give little, or no trouble to differentiate. Another feature 

 all the species in this Type have in common is an eye of some shade of 

 yellow, with the exception of one {Butaslur teem) which has a white eye. 

 This feature though must on no account be taken as a guide or key to the 

 Type as it is apt to be very misleading as such, and is here merely men- 

 tioned as a feature on which no special reliance can be placed. The iris in 

 Pallas's Fishing-Eagle {Haliaetwi leucoriphus ) is a yellowish brown, more 

 yellow than brown in some and more brown than yellow in others, and in 

 very old birds of other species, such as some of the true hawks, it becomes 

 bright orange red. This feature merely helps with regard to the next 

 Type {H) in which all the species have dark brown eyes, with no sign of 

 any shade of yellow, but is of no importance in itself. 



Key to the genera in Type G. 



Genus. 

 Circaetus {one species). 



Characteristics, 

 wing about 21". 



naked 

 ' small 



Spilornis {one species). 



Butaslur {one species). 



HaUaetus {two species). 



Size medium ; wing about 21". Tarsus 

 except at the upper extremity, clad with 

 rounded or subhexagonal imbricate scales all round". 

 Toes and claws short. No crest. 



Size medium ; wing about 20". Tarsus and claws 

 very similar to Circtua ; Prominent broad nuchal 

 crest. Colouring peculiar, being deep brown above 

 and below with small white ocelli on under parts. 



Size small ; wing about 11". Tarsi naked except 

 at extreme top and covered with imbricate scales 

 which are rather larger in front. The larger scales 

 in front do not diminish in size to any appreciable 

 degree from top until the base of middle toe is 

 reached. Irides white in adults. 



Size large ; wing about 23". Tarsi feathered in 



front for about one-third its length. Below the 



feathering a few large scutse, in front only, the rest 



of the tarsus reticulated. Claws grooved beneath. 



Polioaetus {two species). Size medium ; wing about 17i to 19". Outer toe 



partially reversible. Tarsi feathered in front for 

 about one-third of its length ; and clad both in front 

 and behind with large coarse scutee, reticulated on 

 the sides. Claws rounded beneath, much curved and 

 almost sub-equal. 



Size medium. Wing varying from 13 to 16". 

 Build slight. Tarsus with transverse shields in 

 front, which are largest near the top end and dimi- 

 nish in size gradually towards the base of middle 

 toe. where they become absorbed in the reticulation. 

 Irides yellow or yellowish brown, not white. 



Size medium to small. Wing varying from 8^ to 

 14". Tip of primaries in closed wing only reach to 

 about half way down the tail. Tarsus scutellated 

 behind and in front. Bill from gape two-thirds to f 

 of mid-toe without claw. 



Size small in both species. Wing under 9". Si- 

 milar to Astur except that its tarsi are thinner and 



Circus {three species). 



Astur {two species). 



Accipiter {two sjjecies). 



mid-toe 



longer. 



the latter being about twice the 



length (without claw) of the distance from bill to 



