208 
From the adult of Caligatus, Cirrhatus is at once distin- 
guished by the long, black white edged, or in some only white 
tipped, crest. A rudimentary crest, more or less elongated, is 
doubtless met with in some specimens of Caligaetus, but it is 
never more than half the length of that of Cirrhatus, and very 
frequently altogether wanting. 
The young of Cirrhatus undoubtedly closely resemble those of 
Nipalensis. But where the sexes have been ascertained, the much 
greater size of the wing would alone enable us certainly to sepa- 
rate the birds. In Cirrhatus, the wing of the female, averages 
according to my experience, 17°62, while in no instance have I 
found the wing to exceed 18 inches; the male appears to have 
the wing on an average 16°5. The smallest male Vipalensis that 
I possess, or have measured, measured 17°75, and I have now 
in my Museum a female, whose wing measures 19-5. 
Besides the difference in size, there is another little differ- 
ence which appears to me to be constant and which would 
alone enable us to separate either Cirrhatus or Caligatus at 
any stage, from Nipalensis. I say appears to me, because I have 
only had an opportunity of closely examining nine specimens 
of Nipalensis, six of Cirrhatus, and about a dozen of Caligatus. 
In all these, the distinction I am about to point out held good ; 
whether it does so universally is for other ornithologists to 
determine, In Cirrhatus and Caligatus, the feathering of the 
foot ends, more or less, above the division of the toes. In 
some specimens fully an eighth of an inch of the foot is left bare, 
in others the feathering especially of the centre portion of the 
foot, comes down all but level with the division of the toes. 
In Nipalensis on the other hand, the feathering runs distinetly 
down the middle toe, reaching furthest down exteriorly ; so 
that in some specimens fully, and in all nearly, one-half of the 
outer portion of the first joint, of the mid toe, is plumed. 
Admitting that the young of both Nipalensis and Cirrhatus 
do generally so resemble each other, that, although the prac- 
tised eye will at once separate specimens, it is difficult to 
express the difference by any verbal descriptions, I yet think 
that the difference in size, coupled with the difference of the 
pluming of the feet, just noticed, is sufficient to enable even 
a tyro to discriminate between them. 
‘lo some practised ornithologists, this detailed demonstration 
that Cirrhatus and Nipalensis are different, will seem super- 
fluous and they may be tempted to exclaim in Cornish fashion 
“Who said they wor’nt! do you wish to argue, you beggar ?” 
but I can assure them, that im India, the majority of our field 
ornithologists, not only fail to discriminate between the young 
