Lettei's, Announcements, ^c, 349 



XXIX. — Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



We have received the following letters addressed " To the Editor 



of ' The Ibis '":— 



Etawah, North West Provinces, India. 

 13tli March 1868. 



Sir, — I should be very glad if you or one of your most ex- 

 perienced contributors would write a paper describing the plu- 

 mage of the well-known European Eagles in the different stages, 

 commencing with Aquiln chrysaetus. What is the nestling- 

 plumage like ? Is it dark brown like that of the old bird ? Then 

 what is the plumage after the first moult ? and how does this 

 change in the second year ? The old bird is understood to be of 

 a uniform dark brown, with the head of a lighter colour. What 

 is t.he exact plumage of a very old Golden Eagle ? To what 

 extent does the head become light-coloured ? 



The next species I should like to see considered is A. im- 

 pei'ialis. This bird is not uncommon in this country, for I 

 have ten or eleven specimens; of these not one is an old bird. 

 Those which I take to be in their first plumage are of a general 

 light gi-eyish-brown, with quill- and tail-feathers dark brown. 

 These specimens strongly show light bars across the closed wing, 

 caused by the broad light edges to the greater coverts and ends 

 of the secondaries. The other specimens which I have, which I 

 take to be in the next stage of the plumage, are similarly coloured 

 on the upper parts ; but the whole of the lower parts, except the 

 chin and under tail-coverts, are dark brown, with the centre of 

 each feather a very pale brownish-white. This gives the bird an 

 appearance of being generally longitudinally striped beneath. 

 Even when flying over one, the striped plumage can be distin- 

 tinguished. This plumage, if the individuals exhibiting it belong 

 to the same sj)ecies, must be that of the second year. But a pair 

 of birds in this plumage have been seen engaged in building 

 their nest, which, however, was abandoned without an egg being 

 laid. The old Imperial Eagle is the well-known dark bird with a 

 light buff head, and white shoulder-patches when sufficiently old 

 to have them. When does the change of plumage from one 

 stage to another take place, and how does it take place ? for 

 out of the many specimens I have seen I do not remember one 



VOL. IV. — N. s. 2 b 



