228 DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY. 



of this species being the same as that of the male of the golden eagle (32 inches), 

 while that of the male is but an inch less. The body is stoutly built, the tail short, 

 and the wings so long as to reach slightly beyond the extremity of the former. In 

 the adult bird the general colour of the plumage is blackish brown, becoming- 

 lighter on the back and tail-coverts; the head and neck are light fulvous: the 

 scapulars have the above-mentioned white patch, which is exclusively confined to 

 that series of feathers ; and the tail is ashy grey, marked with indistinct dark bars 

 for the greater part of its extent, but its terminal portion blackish, with a narrow 

 fulvous border. The young bird is rather light brown above, with the feathers 

 tipped with huffish fawn, so as to give a spotted appearance to the plumage, and 

 some of the wing-coverts have whitish ends ; the plumage of the under surface 

 being tawny fulvous, with the breast feathers margined with brown, so as to look 

 as though streaked. The tail is uniform brown, tipped with buffish white. In 

 an intermediate stage the brown edgings of the breast-feathers appear to extend 

 to their centres, so that the whole plumage becomes brown ; and it is when in 

 this state that the bird is so often mistaken for the golden eagle. At all ages the 

 cere and feet are pale yellow, while the beak is bluish, and the iris brownish 

 yellow. The imperial eagle is mainly a southern form, occurring in South- 

 Eastern and rarely Central Europe, whence it ranges through Palestine and 

 the adjacent countries to India and China. In Northern Africa it is replaced 

 by Adalbert's eagle {Aquila adalherii), which also occurs in Spain, and differs 

 by the white patch on the wing extending on to the carpal plumes. In the 

 neighbourhood of India the imperial eagle regularly breeds in the Himalaya, 

 but the majority of the specimens seen in the plains of India are winter 

 visitors, although a few remain to nest in the Upper Punjab. In Southern India 

 the species is rare, although it is not uncommon in the high table-lands of the 

 Peninsula. 



In India, according to Jerdon, this eagle " prefers the neighbourhood of hills, 

 and the bare open country, or thin and low jungle. It may frequently be seen 

 seated on the ground, or on a stone on the top of a low hill, till an hour after 

 sunrise, when it rises, apparently unwillingly, and takes a cast after game at no 

 great elevation, hunting slowly over the bushy valleys and ravines, and occasionally 

 over cultivated ground. If unsuccessful in its search, it reseats itself, and after an 

 interval again takes wing, and this time soars to a great height, circling slowly in 

 the air, and traversing a large extent of country. It pounces on hares, florikins, 

 rats, lizards, and various other mammals and birds, and in default of these will 

 eat carrion. I have several times seen one captured in a net by a portion of 

 a carcase of a sheep being put down as a bait. When it does condescend to 

 partake of carrion, it allows no other bird to approach till it has satisfied its 

 hunger." 



In Palestine Canon Tristram writes that this truly imperial bird is more 

 abundant than in any other country which he had visited, and may be said, in 

 summer at least, to replace the golden eagle of Europe. " There is a beauty and 

 majesty in its movements," the Canon continues, " and in its great fearlessness of 

 man, when in search of food, which at once attracts one ; while the very distinct 

 white scapulars, and the light head, show conspicuously when on the wing. Un- 



