European and Asiatic Eagles. 85 



by the same name. The tawny colour, both on head and 

 whole body, is peculiarly rich and fine ; and out of the num- 

 bers of A. vindhiana I have obtained in a pale tawny stage, 

 not one approached this fine species in coloration. It has its 

 characteristics, and especially the two- coloured feathers about 

 the shoulders and wings, the two colours being fine dark 

 purple-brown and fulvous or tawny. I now see there was 

 some excuse for Mr. Gurney mistaking a mature A. bifas- 

 ciata [A. orientalis, Cab.) for a dark A. ncevioides {vide Ibis, 

 1870, pp. 67, 68). This fine Eagle {A. navioides) is in many 

 respects like A. vindhiana ; and as that species is subject to 

 light and dark forms, it is probable that the same variation 

 exists in A. navioides. To separate a large dark A. ncevi- 

 oides from an undersized dark and mature A. bifasciata 

 would be no easy task ; but I think no mistake need be made, 

 the characteristics of each being so well defined. 



4. The Indian species hitherto called A. navioides agrees 

 well with the plate of Aquila fulvescens in Gray and Hard- 

 wicke^s ' Illustrations of Indian Zoology ' (i. pi. 29). So well 

 is the plate executed, that there is no mistaking the species 

 it is intended to represent. Our Indian bird should therefore 

 be henceforth known as Aquila fulvescens, Gray ; and I am 

 glad to have been able to separate it from Aquila navioides 

 vera, with which it has been confounded. 



Judging from the example sent me, I do not see that Aquila 

 navioides is a more robust bird or larger on the whole than 

 our Wokhal {A. vindhiana). Its wing is 20 inches only, 

 and the talons are not more powerful. The Indian bird 

 varies excessively in size ; and in Mr. Hume's collection there 

 are some magnificent examples which it would be hard to 

 match with African ones of A. navioides. 



We have thus three very distinct Eagles subject to light 

 and dark forms : — 



1. A. fulvescens, Gray. Characters — round nostril and 

 plain black unbarred tail. 



2. A. vindhiana, Franklin. Characters — vertical long nos- 

 tril and well-barred grey tail. 



3. A. navioides, Cuvier. Characters — vertical long nostril 



