AQUILINE, 25 



and rufous, tinged with dusky on the cheeks and ears ; tail light 

 brown, with dark bars ; beneath white, with a mesial throat stripe, 

 and brown oval drops on"fhenbYeaWand~abdomen, most numerous 

 in the felnale. 



The adult bird has the plumage above deep glossy olive-brown, 

 with a blackish or slaty tint ; the head and neck dusky-black ; 

 ears and face light dusky ; the tail light greyish, with four dark 

 bands on the centre tail-feaOiers, and six on the outer ones ; 

 throat white, with a mesial blackish stripe, and a few streaks of 

 the same ; the rest of the lower parts white, very closely banded 

 with bright ferruginous-brown, mixed with dusky-brown ; under 

 tail-coverts pure white. With increasing age the brown of the 

 upper parts become dark slaty-blackish on the head, and light 

 on the tail, and the transverse bands of the breast tend to 

 coalesce, and the lower belly to become whiter. In the female, 

 after the first moult, the breast is marked with oval light yellow- 

 brown drops, and the abdomen with broadish bars. The adult 

 male differs from the female in being more grey on the upper 

 parts ; in the breast and flanks being almost ferruginous, and in 

 the bands on the lower belly and thigh-coverts being fewer and 

 lighter in tint. 



The Besra has only been recorded from the Deccan and Central 

 India. In both it only occurs as a rather rare winter visitant. 



SUB-FAMILY, Aquilinae. 



Bill strong, more or less lengthened, straight at first, curved 

 towards tlie point ; wings moderate or Jong, 4th quill usually the 

 longest ; tail moderate or rather long, tarsus rather long, stout, 

 bare or feathered ; toes moderate, strong ; claws well curved ; of 

 large size and robust make. 



GENUS, Aquila. 



Bill strong, more or less lengthened, straight at base, arching 

 downwards towards the tip, which is moderately hooked ; upper 

 mandible with the margin somewhat sinuate ; nostrils oblique, 

 oblong ; wings long, with the fourth and fifth quills sub-equal and 

 longest ; tail moderate or long, rounded or graduated ; tarsus 

 moderately long, feathered to the toes ; toes with reticulated scales, 

 with some large scutae near the claws, which are of moderate 

 size and curvature ; the hind-toe and claw powerful ; the outer- toe 

 joined by a small web to the middle-toe. 



Aquila chrysaetus, Lin. 



26. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 55 ; Murray's Vertebrate 

 Zoology of Sind, p. 74 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 139. 



THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 



Length, 36 to 40 ; expanse, 95 to 100 ; wing, 28 ; tail, 17 ; tar- 

 sus, 4*25 ; bill at gape, 2 '5. 



