Mr. R. B. Sharpe's Catalogue of Accipitres. 221 



birds had been in my possession^ and no moult, beyond the 

 isolated droppings of occasional feathers, having occurred 

 subsequently. 



On 13th July, 1875, I noted: — ^'^the female now shows a 

 A'ery considerable quantity of white, both about the carpal joint 

 and on the ridge of the wing near the shoulder ; and the male 

 shows the white at the same points, but less conspicuously/^ 

 On 23rd September, 1875, " the white on the wings of the 

 female has slightly increased since 13th July, and on those 

 of the male considerably so ; but the female is still by much 

 the more advanced of the two in this respect/^ 



During the succeeding eight months little, if any, altera- 

 tion occurred in the plumage of either of the Eagles ; but 

 during the next six months, ending about 30th November 

 1876, the male bird gradually became as much advanced in 

 his change as the female ; and both birds had, by that date, 

 assumed the full adult dress, with the exception of isolated 

 feathers belonging to the immature plumage, which remained 

 here and there scattered over the mantle and thighs, and to 

 a less extent on the breast and abdomen. Since then ten 

 weeks have elapsed ; but no further change is observable, ex- 

 cept that the female has now almost entirely lost the old fea- 

 thers of the immature plumage from the breast and abdomen. 



It will be seen by the above notes that the female of this 

 pair of Eagles has constantly made a more rapid advance 

 towards the adult plumage than the male, which I have been 

 disposed to attribute to the fact of his being literally a hen- 

 pecked husband, and probably not always, in consequence of 

 this, obtaining his full share of food ; I have, however, read, 

 but where I cannot now recollect, that in the case of the 

 Eastern Imperial Eagle the female has been observed, when 

 in a state of nature, to assume the adult dress more rapidly 

 than the male. 



I have now to refer to the Steppe-Eagle, respecting which 

 it will be the less necessary for me to add much to Mr. 

 Sharpens account, as the natural history of this Eagle has of 

 late years been ably and exhaustively elucidated by Messrs. 



