SHZARTUS. 41 



broad white central streak and with a distinct moustachial stripe on each side * 

 l>iv:ist and upper abdomen pure white inclining to rufous, the leathers with a 

 l>n>;ul dark brown central stripe on the terminal half; lower abdomen, vent, 

 under tail coverts, and tibial plumes uniform brown, also the lower back, rump, 

 and upper tail coverts. Under wing coverts rufous brown, with dark shaft 

 stripes; the lower series white, centred or barred with blackish brown. Axilla- 

 ries a paler brown. Quills brown, barred with darker brown. Secondaries 

 tipped with buff or buffy white, the innermost paler than the back, and the 

 barrings very conspicuous. Wing coverts dark brown, the greater series mar- 

 gined paler. Tail pale brown with three and a broad sub-terminal dark brown 

 band, broader than the interspace between it and the next. Cere pale yellow, 

 feet and iris yellow. 



Length. Male 25 to 26 inches; wing 16 ; tail 1 1 ; tarsus 3-9 to 4. 



Female. Length 29 to 32 inches ; wing 17-5 to 17-8; tail 12-51 to 12-57; 

 tarsus 4' I. 



Hab. Central and Southern India, the Central Provinces, Guzerat, Ceylon 

 and Nepal. It has been found in Travancore, the Western Ghauts, Madras, 

 the Xeilgherries, Seone, Raepoor, Etawah, Mundla and other localities in the 

 Central Provinces ; also at Mount Aboo, in Guzerat and South Concan. 



Mr. Bourdillon in Stray Feathers, iv. 356, says of it, that it is very daring, 

 frequently making a dash amongst chickens, when, if it misses, it retires to 

 some neighbouring tree to concert a fresh plan of attack. It usually keeps to 

 well-wooded tracts and feeds generally upon small birds as quail and 

 pigeons, and at times on snakes and lizards ; and Mr. Vidal in Stray Feathers, 

 vol. vii. p. 31, adds that he had heard of one having been seen attacking a 

 mongoose. Mr. Vidal has taken the eggs of this Hawk Eagle in the South 

 Concan. He says it breeds during December and January and as late as 

 April. The nests he says are large and comparatively deep stick structures 

 loosely put together with the twigs hanging down untidily, built very high 

 up, as a rule, in fork of trees. They are always profusely lined with green 

 mango leaves. The old birds make no attempt to defend their nests. Out of 

 32 nests examined by Mr. Vidal, none contained more than one egg or one 

 young bird. The largest egg measured 3 inches x 2'i and the smallest 

 2-25 x 1*85. In shape they vary greatly, but the usual type is a moderate oval 

 pointed at the smaller end. Colour a dull greenish while, sometimes unspot- 

 ted and sometimes faintly streaked at the larger end with reddish brown. It is 

 unglossed and has a pale green lining. 



38. Spizaetus alboniger, myth* J. A. S. fi. xiv. p. 173 ; id. xix. p. 



335; Wall. Ibis, 1 868, p. 215; Sharpc, Cat. Ace. B. If. p. 271. Limnaetus 

 alboniger, Hume am? Dzvison, Stray F. vi. p. 12. Spizaetus nanus, Wall. Ibis* 

 1868, pi. I. The PiEU-CKiisiKu HAWK KACLK. 



8 



