322 Mr. Vigors's SkefcJies in Ornitholog?/. 



which I shall particularize hereafter, are also to be united to this 

 group. 



Upon leaving the Fishing Eagles, and entering upon those 

 which feed upon land, we meet with 



CiRC^ETUs, Vieill. 

 a genus founded upon the well-known Jean le blanc of the 

 European Continent, F. brachydactyliis, Linn. Here we find the 

 exteriour toe united to the middle by a short membrane, which is 

 the case indeed in the greater portion of the family, while in the 

 two latter genera the toes are all divided to the origin. The toes 

 themselves also are considerably shorter than in general. The 

 acrotarsia are reticulated, and the nares suboval and elongated. 

 Proceeding in the order of affinity, we approach the trne 



Aquila, Auct. 



in which the predominant mark of distinction is the tarsi being 

 feathered to the toes. The culinen of the bill appears also to differ 

 from that of the other Eagles in being more angular. The species 

 A. heliaca,* Sar. F.chryswelos, Linn., F. nievius, Linn., F. belli- 

 cosus, Daud, with some others lately made known to us, belong to 

 the group, which contains the most powerful birds in the family. 

 We now leave the Eagles, which are distinguished by their 

 long wings, and enter upon the groups of the same siirps, which 

 differ from them in the shortness of those members. Of these the 

 most nearly allied to the true Aquila appears to be the 



IIarpyia, Cuv. 

 which equals that genus in size and powers of body. Its tarsi are 



* M. Savigny appears to be the first who separated this species from the 

 Golden Eagle, and at the same time characterized and named it as above. ,1 

 really see no reason why his name should be removed to make way for that of 

 imperialis, which M. Temminck has proposed for it. Neither can I see tlie pro- 

 priety of giving np the old established title of c/ir^s<E£<(;*, for the well-known 

 Golden Eagle, in order to adopt the modern denomination of regalis, which the 

 same distinguii-hed naturalist would affix to it. Where an objection lies to 

 an established name, it may be expedient to alter it; but in the present cases, 

 any change seems to me likely to produce confusion, without any assignable mo- 

 tive. 



