THE EAGLE-LIKE SUBFAMILY 1993 



In Palestine Canon Tristram writes that this truly imperial bird is more abun- 

 dant than in any other country which he had visited, and may be said, in summer at 

 least, to replace the golden eagle of Europe. ' ' There is a beauty and majesty in 

 its movements," the Canon continues, "and in its great fearlessness of man, when 

 in search of food, which at once attracts one; while the very distinct white scapu- 

 lars, and the light head, show conspicuously when on the wing. Unlike the golden 

 eagle, it was as common at one time of the year as another, though we never 

 took a nest. ' ' This account gives an idea that the imperial eagle is a noble and 

 courageous bird endowed with considerable fierceness. The experience of Mr. 

 Hume in India does not, however, countenance the attribute of these qualities; 

 although it is suggested, perhaps humorously, that its deficiencies in these respects 

 may be due to the enervating nature of the climate. Mr. Hume says that " I have 

 driven the female off hard-set eggs, and plundered the nest before the eyes of the 

 pair, without either flapping a pinion, even to defend what even a little shrike will 

 swoop at once to save. I have seen a couple of crows thrash one of them soundly; 

 and, whether it be that familiarity breeds contempt, I am bound to record, that 

 after having seen many hundreds, and shot, I dare say, a good hundred myself, I 

 look upon the Konigs-adler as no better than a great hulking kite. ' ' Contrary to 

 the opinion of Jerdou, the writer adds that in his experience this eagle is generally 

 a foul feeder. 



The nest appears to be always situated in a tree, and is of large size; one taken 

 in a pollard tree on the Danube having a circumference of about fifteen feet, and 

 being lined with wool. The eggs are very variable in size, and have a grayish- 

 white ground, which is usually unspotted, but may be marked with pale brown, or 

 more rarely with purplish brown. In the Punjab the usual laying time is February 

 and March, but it may be prolonged for another month; the nest referred to above 

 from the Danubian provinces was taken at the end of April. 



tt d E 1 ^^ e s P otte d ea gl e (.Aquila maculata) of Central Europe, which is 

 selected as an example of species much smaller than the golden eagle, 

 of which it is only about one-third the size, is a bird which has received more than 

 the usual liberal allowance of scientific names. The total length of the adult female 

 is twenty-five inches, and that of the male only half an inch less. The general 

 color of the adult bird is liver brown on the upper parts, with the head somewhat 

 lighter, and its upper feathers lanceolate. The wing coverts are somewhat paler, 

 with simple whity-brown margins; and the quills are blackish, shaded with ashy on 

 the primaries, and browner on the secondaries. The tail feathers are lighter than 

 the quills, with their inner webs bronzy, and the tips inclining to tawny; the under 

 tail coverts being earthy brown with lighter tips, and the lower surface of the tail 

 uniform brown. The beak is bluish horn color, the cere yellow, the iris hazel, and 

 the toes yellow with black claws. In the young bird, as shown in the central fig- 

 ure of our illustration, the general color is a darker chocolate brown, the tips of the 

 wing coverts, inner secondaries, upper tail coverts, and tail feathers being marked 

 with somewhat crescentic spots of a pale wood brown; the cheeks and under surface 

 pale brown, becoming lighter, with a tinge of tawny on the under tail coverts; some 

 of the chest feathers are a rather darker brown with tawny -brown centres, and cer- 



