POLIOAETUS. ^'^ 



not west of Delhi, uor in Sind, and rare to the southward. This 

 ;t roccurs also'in Ceylon, th-gV^^^ B™ andmt^^^^^^^^ 

 Peninsula and Islands as far as Java, Celebes, and the Phihppme^ 

 Habits, cj-o. This Pishing-Eagle haunts wooded rivers large 

 lakes and backwaters, but is seldom found on the sea-coast. It 

 has a peculiar deep resounding call, repeated three or ^our imes 

 It lives chiefly on fish, which it swoops upon in its flight, not 

 pouncing down on them hke an Osprey, but it willJerdon says, 

 occasi^ally carry off a wounded bhxl. Legge says that it seldom 

 soars 0? takes long flights; it is commonly seen perched on a tree 

 near wX. It bre:^eds from December to March, bmlds an 

 rmmense nest of sticks, and lays two or three greyish-white eggs, 

 measuring about 2*68 by 2-09. 



1227 Polioaetiis humilis. Hodgson's Fisldwj-Eagle. 

 Haliaetus plumbeus, Hodgs. J.A.S.B. vi, p. 367 (1837), descr. 

 Fakd^Lmilis, ilf«&r S>- Schleg. VerhandL, Aves, p. 47, pi. 6 (1839- 



IcMhyaetus nanus, Blgtk, J. A. SJ. xi, p. 202 (1842) ; xii, p. 304. 

 Pontoaetus nanus, Bli/th, Cat. p. 30._ 

 Pandion liumilis, Horsf. 8,- M. Cat. i, p. 54. 



Polioaetus plnmbens, Jerdon, Ris, J871, P-36 ; ^um^, iV^.^ ^. 



p. 43; A Anderson, S. F. m, p. 385 ; z^. P.Z &'. 1^^^, p / //, 



ni taxii- Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xlv, pt. 2 p. 192; B>ools, 



&\f!v p. 272 ; Hume, S. F. v, pp. 11, 129 ; ul. Cat. no. 41 bis ; 



GurnZ Ibfs, 1878, p. 456 ; Beid, S. F x, p. 9 ; Cnpi^s^ S.F xi, 



^ 12- OcZs in klne's N. 8f E. 2nd ed. iu, p. 169; Sharps, 



Yarkand Miss., Aves, p. 8. . n ^ 7" . Khm-nP Cat 



Polioaetus Immilis, Brooks, J.A^S. B. x li pt. 2, P; 7o , ^^^^ ' 11 • 



B M i, p. 454; Hume, S. F. v, p. 130 ; ix, p. 244 , xi, p. ii , 



id. Cat. no. 41 ter ; Oates, B. B.ji,J. .223. 



Haliaetus humilis, Hume 8> Dav. S. F. vi, p. i/- 



Coloration. Head and neck all round ashy browner on the 



crown and nape : remainder of upper parts dark brown, the quilk 



hSsh- the middle tail-feathers brown throughout, generally 



£ker on heTast thii^d and with pale tips ; of the other tai^ 



feathers the basal two-thirds are mottled brown and white, 



esnecSy on the inner webs, and lighter beneath; breast ashy 



brown, more ashy in older birds ; the feathers of the head, neck, 



uppr back, and breast more or less distinctly dark-shafted; 



abdomen and lower tail-coverts white. 



ToTng birds are paler brown ; they want tlie grey on the head, 

 and the breast-feathers have white shafts and ends 



Upper mandible blue-black; cere, gape, and lower mandible 

 leade^nblue; irides bright yellow ; legs and feet white, washed with 



leaden blue ; claws black {A. Anderson). 



Leneth of a Himalayan female 24-5; tail 9-2; wngl/ 5, tarsus 

 3-1 ; bin from gape li . Males very little sma ler Specimens 

 from Assam and Cachar have generaUy a wing of 16 to 17 inches , 

 Malay birds are much smaller. ^ ^ ^ 



