LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE. 107 



times, but not always, pale. The pale spots on the ends of the feathers of 

 the upper parts of the smaller form are only well developed on the inner- 

 most secondaries and on the wing-coverts, whereas in the larger they are 

 well developed also on the scapulars, and especially so on the rump. The 

 other two local races are found in India. A. fulvescens, with the head, 

 neck, and underparts pale chestnut instead of brown in the adult, is only 

 known to breed in India. Immature birds are also fulvous, combining 

 the dimensions of the smaller form with an even greater development of 

 spots than in the larger form. A. hastata is common to India and Cochin 

 China. It has the dimensions and colour of A. ruevia ; and adults of the 

 two races are inseparable ; but the young have no nuchal patch, and also 

 resemble the young of A. clanga in having frequently traces of bars across 

 the innermost secondaries, the scapulars, and the rectrices. At best they 

 are only local races. If they were treated as good species, and the same 

 principles carried out in other genera, the number of species of Palaearctic 

 birds would be doubled. 



In the 'Ibis' for 1877 Mr. Gurney refers the two Spotted Eagles killed 

 in Cornwall, and recorded in the ' Zoologist ' for 1861, to Aquila clanga, 

 the Larger Spotted Eagle. In Dresser's ' Birds of Europe ' this decision 

 is quoted and indorsed. I believe, however, that I am in a position to 

 prove that it is an erroneous one, and that it is the Lesser Spotted Eagle 

 (to which species Dresser gives the name of Aquila pomerina, but which 

 the great majority of ornithologists have called, and, doubtless, will still 

 continue to call, Aquila navia] which has occurred in Britain. 



The error has, doubtless, arisen from the extreme poverty of English 

 collections in examples of these Eagles. In some of the continental 

 museums they are, however, largely represented : in the magnificent 

 collection of E. F. von Homeyer in Stolp I devoted a day to an inspection 

 of the regiment of Spotted Eagles, all carefully selected examples picked 

 out of some hundreds that have passed through his hands. Of the 

 British-killed examples one bird, shot in Cornwall on the 15th December 

 1860, recorded by Mr. E. H. Rodd ('Zoologist/ 1861, p. 7311), is 

 described as a male ; length of wing 20 inches. The measurement of a 

 second example, shot at St. Columb ('Zoologist/ 1861, p. 7817), is not 

 given ; but Mr. Gurney, who has measured this example, which is now in 

 the Truro Museum, gives it as 19| inches. Mr. TATarren has been kind 

 enough to measure the example in the Dublin Museum, which was shot 

 near Youghal in January 1845, and informs me that it is 19| inches. 



It seems to me that the St. Columb bird is undoubtedly A. nm-ia, as is 

 also the Youghal example. The first Cornwall Eagle is not quite so clear. 

 It may be a lafge male A navia or a small male A. clanga. L'nder any 

 circumstances it is very poor evidence for the admission of A. clanga as a 

 British bird. 



