42 



LE VAILLANT'S NATURAL HISTORY 



Bee presque droit a la base, anguleux en dessus ; cire un peu poilue ; tarses emplumes 

 jusqu' aux doigts, qui sont r6ticules ; les doigts exterieurs reunis a la base par 

 une membrane; ongies aigus; queue egale (Aigles Euro/;gens), ou etag6e (Aigtes 

 Australiens*) ; ailes aussi longues que la queue ; les premiere, seconde, el troi- 

 sieme r6miges les plus courtes ; les quatrieme et cinquieme, les plus longues. 

 LESSON. 



THE GRIFFARD (Aquila armigera, RENNIE.) 



Le Griffard, Le Vuillant, Ois. d'Afr. i. 1, pi. 1. Falco bellicosus, Latham. Ind. i. 9. 

 Martial Eagle, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 16; Gen. Hist. i. 142. Daunin. ii. 3%. 

 Falco armiger, Shaw, Zool. vii. 57. Baron Cuvier, Regne Anim. i. 326. Lesson, 

 Man. i. 83 Griffith's Cuvier, i. 35. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Brown, feathers pale edged, beneath whitish ; quills black; tail even, one fourth longer 

 than the wings; legs pale, feathers to the toes. Size of an eagle. GRIFFITH'S 

 CUVIER. 



THE proportions of the several parts of the body furnish naturalists 

 with the best characters which they can employ to distinguish the dif- 

 ferent species of animals. Forms frequently determine qualities and 

 manners ; while colours very often present us merely with secondary 

 marks of distinction. The latter remark applies particularly to the very 



