Generic Names of certain Eagles. 285 



part useless ; the only dimensions that can be compared are 

 length 2' 3" V" , expanse 4' 6", mid toe and claw 3", outer 

 do. I" 9'", inner do. 2" 3'", hind do. 1" &" , and tail 1' 0" 9'". 

 It is not quite clear what the foot and inch used are"^, hut 

 if, as is probable, they are the old French '' pied de roi/^ 

 the English equivalents would be — length 28*86 inches, 

 expanse 57'5, mid toe and claAV 3*2, outer do. 1'86, inner do. 

 2"3, hind do. 1'6, and tail 13-6. The relation of the length 

 to the breadth or expanse is quite unnatural, and both are 

 probably taken from a stuffed specimen. The hind toe and 

 claw are shorter than those of any true Eagle f- 



In Gmelin's description of F. mogilnik the nostrils are de- 

 scribed as transverse ovales. This excludes the Spotted Eagles 

 and Aquila fulvescens. The head, neck, back, and wings 

 are said to be " fusci s. obscure ferrugiyiei," " pennis albis 

 raro et vageintermixtis.''' The description continues : " prona 

 pars corporis dorso jienitus concolor, hac tantum cum differ- 

 entia, quod albedo omnis exulet. Pennce pedes usque ad 

 exortum digitorum, quemadmodum in Bubone, dense tegunt, 

 dorsique pariter colorem prcB se ferunt, rufum autem largius 

 subinde iis admixtum video." Now in the Golden Eagle the 

 white of the basal part of the feathers shows on the back 



* There is said to have been an old Russian foot of 13f Englisli inches, 

 but I have been unable to ascertain how it was subdivided. If this foot 

 was used by CTmelin, the length of his bird would have been 31 English 

 inches, expanse Gl|, hind toe and claw 1*7, tail ]4"6. The whole length 

 and that of the tail would in this case be equal to those of a male Golden 

 Eagle. 



t In Hume's 'My Scrap-Bcok, or Rough Notes on Indian Oology 

 and Ornithology,' there is, as is well known, a most valuable series of 

 measurements, in English inches, from fresh specimens. Those of the 



Imperial Eagle (p. 154) are : — 



Male. Female, 



in. in. in. in. 



Length 28-5 to 30-5 30-0 to 32'63 



Expanse 69-0 to 76-0 70-0 to 85-0 



Mid toe 2-37 to 2-63 2-6 to 2-88 



Its claw (round curve) . . l"2o to 1'31 1-63 to l'7o 



Hind toe 1-0 to 1-13 1-06 to 1-31 



Hind claw (round curve). 1'63 to V7b 1'88 to 2-13 



Tail lOo to 12-5 12'0 to 14-0 



