AQUILA 519 



with, greyish, the inner ones with large terminal irregularly ovate greyish 

 spots ; tail blackish brown, washed with grey and tipped with ashy grey ; 

 under parts striped with rufescent ochreous ; tarsi sparsely spotted with 

 creamy white ; under tail-coverts creamy ochreous. 



Hub. Eastern Europe, of rare occurrence in Scandinavia and 

 in west-central Europe ; Asia Minor and Syria on passage, 

 ranging south in East Africa to Nubia in winter. 



In habits it much resembles the Buzzards and like them is 

 somewhat heavy and sluggish. It feeds to a large extent on 

 frogs, and hence is often found near water, also on reptiles of 

 various kinds, small mammals, and like its larger ally does not 

 hesitate to feed on carrion when obtainable. Its nest which 

 resembles that of the Common Buzzard is placed on a tree, but. 

 it occasionally makes use of the deserted nest of some other 

 bird of prey. The eggs, two in number, are white, usually 

 marked with pale violet grey shell-spots or blotches, and 

 generally boldly blotched with dark red surface-markings and 

 in size average about 2'49 by 1*97. 



733. STEPPE EAGLE. 

 AQUILA NIPALENSIS. 



Aquila nipalensis Hodgs. As. Ees. xviii. part 2, p. 13, pi. i. (1832) ; 

 Dresser, v. p. 507, pi. 340 ; A. bifasciata, J. E. Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. 

 i. pi. 17 (1830-34 nee. Brehm) ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. 

 p. 336; A. orientalis. Cab. J. f. O. 1854, p. 369; A. amurensis, 

 Swinh. P.Z.S. 1871, p. 338 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 201 ; A. mogil- 

 nik, Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 240 (1874 nee. Gmel.). 



Steppen Adler, German ; Podorlik, Russ. ; Karagush, Bashkir. 



ad. (S. Russia). Upper parts dull earth-brown, darker on the 

 scapulars and inner secondaries paler on the nape ; quills and larger scapu- 

 lars blackish brown ; tail blackish brown, narrowly tipped with light brown, 

 and with obsoletely marbled ashy grey bars ; under parts dull earth-brown, 

 tinged with rufous on the lower abdomen ; bill bluish horn ; cere, gape, 

 and feet pale yellow ; iris brown. Culrnen 2'4, wing 20'5, tail 10*7, tarsus 

 3'7 inch. Female similar but larger. The young bird is dark earth -brown, 

 with a faint purplish tinge above and below, has two conspicuous rufous 

 ochreous wing-bars, the upper tail-coverts bright ochreous fawn, and the 

 tail is broadly tipped with dull rufescent ochreous. From the Spotted 

 Eagles this species is readily distinguishable in having a vertical and not 

 a round nostril. 



