LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE. 107 
times, but not always, pale. The pale spots on the ends of the feathers of 
the upper parts of the smaller form are only well developed on the inner- 
most secondaries and on the wing-coverts, whereas in the larger they are 
well developed also on the scapulars, and especially so on the rump. The 
other two local races are found in India. A. fulvescens, with the head, 
neck, and underparts pale chestnut instead of brown in the adult, is only 
known to breed in India. Immature birds are also fulvous, combining 
the dimensions of the smaller form with an even greater development of 
spots than in the larger form. A. hastata is common to India and Cochin 
China. It has the dimensions and colour of A. nevia; and adults of the 
two races are inseparable ; but the young have no nuchal patch, and also 
resemble the young of 4. clanga in having frequently traces of bars across 
the innermost secondaries, the scapulars, and the rectrices. At best they 
are only local races. If they were treated as good species, and the same 
principles carried out in other genera, the number of species of Palearctic 
birds would be doubled. 
In the ‘Ibis’ for 1877 Mr. Gurney refers the two Spotted Eagles killed 
in Cornwall, and recorded in the ‘ Zoologist’ for 1861, to Aquila clanga, 
the Larger Spotted Eagle. In Dresser’s ‘ Birds of Europe’ this decision 
is quoted and indorsed. I believe, however, that I am in a position to 
prove that it is an erroneous one, and that it is the Lesser Spotted Eagle 
(to which species Dresser gives the name of Aguila pomerina, but which 
the great majority of ornithologists have called, and, doubtless, will still 
continue to call, Aquila nevia) which has occurred in Britain. 
The error has, doubtless, arisen from the extreme poverty of English 
collections in examples of these Eagles. In some of the continental 
museums they are, however, iargely represented: m the magnificent 
collection of E. F. von Homeyer in Stolp I devoted a day to an inspection 
of the regiment of Spotted Eagles, all carefully selected examples picked 
out of some hundreds that have passed through his hands. Of the 
British-killed examples one bird, shot in Cornwall on the 15th December 
1860, recorded by Mr. E. H. Rodd (‘ Zoologist, 1861, p. 7311), is 
described as a male; length of wing 20 inches. The measurement of a 
second example, shot at St. Columb (‘ Zoologist,’ 1861, p. 7817), is not 
given ; but Mr. Gurney, who has measured this example, which is now in 
the Truro Museum, gives it as 19} inches. Mr. Warren has been kind 
enough to measure the example in the Dublin Museum, which was shot 
near Youghal in January 1845, and informs me that it is 19? inches. 
It seems to me that the St. Columb bird is undoubtedly A. nevia, as is 
also the Youghal example. The first Cornwall Eagle is not quite so clear. 
It may be a large male A nevia or a small male A. clanga. Under any 
circumstances it is very poor evidence for the admission of A. clanga as a 
British bird. 
