184: 
tary crest referred to, resembles that of Spizaetus Limnaetus of 
Bengal, and also of many Bengal examples of Pernis Cristatus, 
and as the subcrested Hieractus averages a rather larger size 
than the European H. Pennatus, I do not think that it can be 
distinguished from the Australian H. Morphnoides, Gould. Mr. 
Swinhoe’s crested specimen of Poliornis Poliogenys (Ibis, 1864, 
p- £29) should here be borne in mind. Mr. H. H. Dresser agrees 
with me in the opinion, that the white-breasted specimens of 
Hf. Pennatus are adults, asin Eutolmaetus Boneillii ; whereas in 
Spisaetus Limnaetus and S. Cirrhatus, the white-breasted birds 
are the young.”’ 
As regards the second point raised by Mr. Blyth, viz. as to 
whether the dark plumage is that of the adult or young, I think 
further investigation is necessary. Mr. Tayler, in his notes on 
the Birds of Egypt, which appeared in the Ibis for 1867, has 
the following remarks in regard to this species :— 
“This pretty little Eagle, which is by no means common in 
Egypt, is subject to considerable variation in colour, for’a speci- 
men shot by one of our party, which showed no sign of imma- 
turity, was of a uniform dark brown.” 
This statement I can confirm, from a careful examination of a 
specimen in the dark plumage, now in Col. Tytler’s museum, 
which is, I consider, manifestly an old bird. A female, ap- 
parently an old one, shot from the nest and off the egg which 
I shall notice later, was also of an uniform dark brown colour. 
I subjoin detailed measurements and description, taken from 
the fresh bird, of a male whichI shotin the Goorgaon district on , 
the 12th December. In company with this bird were three 
others; two in the dark plumage which seemed to me to take 
the lead and be the old birds, and the other similar to this one. 
Dimensions. Length, 18°75. Hxpanse, 49. Weight, 1-75ibs. 
Wing, 15; the 4th primary the longest, Ist, 4:53; 2nd, 1°85; 
ord, 0°45 shorter. Length oftail from vent, 8°25; the longest 
tail feathers exceeds shortest by 0°25. ‘Tarsus, 2°3. Foot, great- 
est length, 3°48; greatest width, 3°5; mid toe, 1°38; its claw, 
straight, 0°8; hind toe, 0°78; its claw, straight, 0-1; immer toe, 
0-9 ; its claw, straight, 0-9. Bull, straight from edge of cere, 
0°88; along curve, 1:05; from gape, 1-4; width at gape, 1-1; 
height at front at margin of cere, 0:5; length of cere, 0°45 ; 
Wings when closed reach to within 1 of end of tail. Distance 
by which lower tail coverts fall short of end of tail, 3°43. 
Description. ‘Legs and feet, pale wax yellow. Inides, some- 
what pale brown. Bill, bluish black at tip, pale blue at base. 
Cere and gape, bright wax yellow. lLores and forehead, pale 
buffy white, a very narrow blackish streak, running at the lower 
