THE LESSER FISHING EAGLE. 223 



593. POLIOAETUS HUMILIS. 

 THE LESSER FISHING EAGLE. 



Falco humilis, Mull, et Schleg. Verh. Ned. overz. Bez., Aves, p. 47, pi. 6. Polio- 

 aetus humilis, Wald. Trans. Zool. Soc. viii. p. 35 j Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. Mus. 

 i. p. 454 ; Sahad. Ucc. Born. p. 6 ; BL B. Burnt, p. 64 j Hume, S. F. v. p. 130, 

 viii. p. 82 j Gurney, Ibis, 1878, p. 455 ; Hume, S. F. ix. p. 244 ; Oates, S. F. x. 

 p. 177. Haliaetus humilis, Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 17. 



Description. Adult female. Above ashy brown, the back and wings 

 darker and more chocolate-brown, the feathers of the crown and hinder 

 neck slightly fulvescent towards their tips ; lores and an indistinct eyebrow 

 whitish ; cheeks and entire throat and breast, as well as under wing-coverts, 

 entirely ashy brown ; the throat and fore part of the cheeks slightly varied 

 with whitish streaks ; lower abdomen, thighs, vent and under tail-coverts 

 white ; primaries black, whitish at base of inner web ; secondaries brown 

 like the back ; tail pale brown at base, gradually becoming darker brown 

 towards the tip, which is not very broadly white ; a few whitish feathers 

 on the bend of the wing ; bill and cere dusky lead-colour ; feet pale bluish 

 white; iris light yellow. Total length 23 inches, culmen 2'05, wing 16'2, 

 tail 8-8, tarsus 2'85, middle toe 1'95. (Sharpe.) 



I have never procured the Lesser Fishing Eagle. Mr. Hume states that 

 he received a specimen from Cape Negrais, and consequently it is entitled 

 to a place in this work. The adult differs from the adult of the last species 

 in having the tail pale brown with a white tip, and in being considerably 

 smaller. A third species, P. plumbeus, Hodgs., occupies an intermediate 

 position between the two in regard to size, and the entire upper surface 

 of the tail is a uniform ashy brown. It is found along the base of the 

 Himalayas from Assam to Afghanistan. 



The Lesser Fishing Eagle is found in the Malay peninsula, Sumatra and 

 Celebes, and probably in Borneo. Mr. Hume also records it from Cachar. 



Its habits are probably similar to those of P. ichthyaetus. 



