222 Mr. J. H. Gurney's Notes on 



Brooks and Anderson in India as well as by Mr. Dresser 

 in this country. 



When I last referred in print to this subject {vide Ibis, 

 1873, p. 422) I was of opinion that the Steppe-Eagle of 

 Eastern Asia and India should probably be considered spe- 

 cifically distinct from that of Eastern Europe, the latter being, 

 on the avei'age of specimens, decidedly smaller, for instances 

 of which I would refer to Mr. Dresser^s paper in the P. Z. S. 

 for 1873, at p. 516; but I am now disposed to acquiesce in 

 the view which has been taken by all the four ornithologists 

 above referred to, that this disparity of size is not sufficient 

 to constitute a specific distinction ; and assuming this view 

 to be correct, I agree with Mr. Dresser in considering " ni~ 

 palensis " of Hodgson to be the correct specific name to apply 

 to the Steppe-Eagle both of Asia and of Europe. 



I have already mentioned my dissent from Mr. Sharpens 

 application of Gmelin's name of " mogilnik " to this species ; 

 but I may here observe that, previously to Mr. Sharpe having 

 so applied it, a similar appropriation of it to this Eagle was 

 made by M. Alleon in the ' Revue et Magasin de Zoologie' 

 for 1866, accompanied by a figure (pi. 20) of a specimen 

 obtained on the Bosphorus, which, contrary to the opinion of 

 M. Alleon, I believe to be fully adult. In subsequent papers, 

 written jointly with M. Vian*, M. Alleon ceases to identify 

 the Steppe-Eagle with Aquila mogilnik, Gmel., and treats it 

 as identical with A. clanga, Pallas. I think it is by no means 

 impossible that Pallas did not distinguish between the usually 

 smaller occidental form of the present species and the larger 

 Spotted Eagle ; but the description of his Aquila clanga 

 applies better to the latter, with which Mr. Sharpe identifies 

 it, and, on the whole, I believe, correctly. 



MM. Alleon and Vian also express the opinion that the 

 Steppe-Eagle of Eastern Europe is not specifically distinct 

 from Aquila ncsvioides of Cuvier, or, as it may be more cor- 

 rectly termed, A. rapax ; this is an opinion which I at one 



* Vide 'Revue et Magasin de Zoologie ' for 1869, pp. 258, 311, 313, for 

 1870, pp. 81, 82, 130, and for 1873, pp. 235, 239. 



