AQUILA. 337 



abdominal feathers have whitish transverse or arrow-head-shaped 

 bands and pale tips. 



Bill and claws black; gape, cere, and feet yellow; iris dark 

 brown ; eyelids greenish (Oates). The nostrils are rounder than 

 in A. heliaca, but still oval. 



Length of a male 30 inches; tail 11'5 ; wing 22; tarsus 4; mid- 

 toe without claw 2-5 ; bill from gape 2-8. Females are rather 

 larger : tail 12'5 ; wing 23'5. 



Distribution. A winter visitor to Northern India, ranging south 

 as far as Khandesh, Seoni, and B/aipur ; also found at the same 

 season throughout Assam and Burma. Beyond Indian limit* this 

 Eagle is found in Eastern Europe, North-eastern Africa, and in 

 parts of Central Asia, including Mongolia, Southern and Eastern 

 Siberia, and China. 



For a long time the two plumages of this Eagle were supposed 

 to be phases of A. heliaca (A. imperialist and were described as 

 such by Jerdon and Hume. The recognition and separation of 

 A. bifasciata is due to Messrs. Brooks and Anderson. 



Habits, &fc. Very similar to those of A. lieliaca, except that the 

 nest, which has not been observed within Indian limits, is generally 

 placed on the ground. 



1203. Aquila vindhiana. The Indian Tawny Eagle. 



Aquila vindhiana, Franklin, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 114 ; Jerdon, Madr. 



Jour. L. S. x, p. 67 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 29 ; Brooks, P. A. S. B. 



1873, p. 174; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. i, p. 243; Anderson, P. Z. S. 



1875, p. 22 ; Butler, S. F. iii, p. 446 ; ix, p. 372 ; Gurney, Ibis, 



1877, pp. 225, 234 ; Davidson 8f Wend. S. F. vii, p. 74 ; Ball, ibid. 



p. 197 ; Hume, Cat. no. 29 ; Doig, S. F. viii, p. 370; Reid, S. F. 



x, p. 7 ; Davidson, ibid. p. 287 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 29 ; id. Jour. 



Bom. N. H. Soc. i, p. 40 ; Oates in Hume's N. Sf E. 2nd ed. iii, 



p. 132. 

 Aquilla punctata, J. E. Gray in Hardw. III. Ind. Zool. i. pi. 16 



(1830-32). 



Aquila fusca, J. E. Gray, op. cit. ii, pi. 27 (1833-34). 

 Aquila nsevioides, apud Blyth, Cat. p. 27 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 44 ; 



nee Cuv. 

 Aquila fulvescens, apud Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 60; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, 



p. 241 ; Hume, Rough Notes, p. 173 ; Blanford, J. A. S. B. 



xxxviii, pt. 2, p. 166 ; Jerdon, Ibis, 1871, p. 245 ; Hume, S. F. i, 



p. 158 ; nee Gray. 



The Tawny Eagle, Jerdon; Wokhdb, Ragar, H. ; Dholwa, Wagri; 

 Bursawul, Yerkli ; Alawa or Salwa, Tel. ; AH, Tarn. 



Coloration very variable. Adults are almost uniform brown, 

 varying from dark umber to pale brown, sometimes whity brown 

 or whitish on the head and body. Very pale birds are generally 

 in worn plumage, and the light tint is probably caused by bleaching. 

 The quills are dark brown or nearly black at the end, mottled and 

 barred towards the base ; the tail is dark grey, with more or less 

 distinct cross-bars. Occasionally the head is greyer or paler than 



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