2U JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HLST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



Spilornis cheela. — The Crested Serpent Eagle is a very deep chocolate 

 brown with numerous whitish bars on the wings and tail. If at close 

 quarters it will be seen that the whole body and the lining of the wing is 

 covered with small white " occelli, When scaring the wings are held 

 well back, but are broad in proportion to his size, hence the tail does not 

 project very far beyond the tertiaries. This is a noisy bird and gives vent 

 to a shrill succession of whistles w^hen on the wing. Found in the lower 

 hills among Chir pine (P. Lonyifolia) and oak {Q. dilitata) up to about 

 (),000 feet and is often found in the vicinity of paddy fields and streams. 

 Little bigger than a kite. 



Circus ccDu/inosus (female). — Not unlike a kite except that the tail is 

 rounded and not forked. Usually a darker and more uniform brown, with 

 a bxift' head and nape. Wings usually held in a line with the body but 

 sometimes they curve up a little. Seldom bent, as in kites, and much 

 given to flapping. Usually found over water. A little smaller than a kite. 



Liijht Brcnon Birds with Markings. 



The true Eagles of the genus Aquilia, i.e., the Imperial, the Steppe and 

 the Tawny Eagles as I have already shown may be either dark brown or 

 come under the present category of light brown birds, and the Steppe may 

 even be so dark as to look black, but in his case the ubiquitous white 

 stripes are always present in a greater or lesser degree. 



There is no necessity to describe the flight of each species over again 

 and suffice it to say that the true Eagles can always be separated from 

 the Vultures in having somewhat narrower wings in proportion to their 

 size, and the tail projecting, even when spread out, a little more than in 

 the case of the Vultures. The flight is lighter, i.e., the bird appears to be 

 carrying less weight. If you watch a Vulture carefully, it will be seen 

 that once he has got into his stride, as it were, there is no wavering about 

 the flight and he circles in perfect curves, the wings being stretched to 

 their full and perfectly still. 



With the Eagles, on the other hand, there is more wing motion and the 

 circle is not so true as in a Vulture. 



The wings, too, are frequently seen to be slightly moving near the tips. 

 One minute the primaries curl upwards and the next are slightly depress- 

 ed, as though the air currents played tricks with their lesser weight and 

 they had to meet each change with a slight movement of the wing. 



Among the birds of the size of a Kite or larger, in which light brown 

 predominates are the Hieraeti and the t^pizaeti, both genera of hunting 

 Eagles, which, with one exception, hold their wings very far back. The 

 exception is H. jjeymatus which is particularly Kite-like in its flight. 



The other species of the same genus, Hieraetus fagciatus, the Bonelli's 

 Eagle, is a grand bird on the wing and looks like a miniature of the CTolden 

 Eagle, except for the colouring. 



Hieraetus fasciatus. — A young bird is rufous underneath with grey brown 

 wings and tail, whereas in his adult plumage the rufovis on the body gives 

 place to white, finely mottled with brown. The older the bird the more 

 whitft is his body, the wings varying from light grey-brown to dark grey 

 brown and to black on the tips of the primaries. Nearlj'^ always seen in 

 pairs, either beating over grassy hillsides or soaring over a station in 

 quest of pigeons. 



Hieraettis pennatus. — As unlike the preceding species, in flight, as it is 

 possible to have them. Very much smaller in size (being the smallest <>f 

 all Eagles with feathered tarsi). One phase of plumage of this species is 

 a light to dark brown generally, with irregular lighter and darker patches 

 and mottling on wings and body. Flight light and easy but not exactly 



