244 A SECOND LIST OF THE BIRDS 



two fine adult males, both killed in the neighbourhood of Dil- 

 khushah. The one everywhere much darker and blacker, the 

 other paler and more slaty, with wings measuring 9-0 and 9'1, 

 respectively, and both with the uniform snow-white wing- 

 lininff and axillaries. 



41 ter.— Polioaetus humilis, S. Mull. 



{i Although not so common as P. plumbeus it is far from rarr." 

 I have noticed that it is more often found in the neighbourhood 

 of rivers than jheels. P. plumbeus, from my experience, prefers 

 fishing in stagnant water. — J. 1." 



A single specimen of this small Fishing Eagle, the only one 

 that I have yet seen killed within our limits, is apparently an 

 old adult ; the wing barely 16*0. It was not sexed, but was 

 probably a female. In the nearly allied plumbeus, the wings 

 of adults appear to run from 16 - 5 to 18*2 or 18*3 ; but if I 

 have correctly identified this species, (and I have unfor- 

 tunately no Malayan specimens at present in my collec- 

 tion to compare it with) plumbeus might be looked upon 

 as merely a large Himalayan race of humilis. This latter is, 

 no doubt, markedly smaller, with much smaller bill, and with 

 a markedly slenderer, though not shorter, foot and tarsus ; but I 

 can discover no difference in the plumage, unless perhaps there 

 is rather more white about the abdomeu, and rather more 

 feathering on the tarsus in plumbeus than in humilis. Both 

 species have the same, more or less, mottled white bar on the 

 lower surface of the basal half of the tail feathers, and the 

 plumage appears to be identical, except that this particular 

 specimen of humilis has the ear-coverts a pale fawny brown, 

 contrasting markedly with the grey brown of the rest of the 

 side of the head — a feature which I do not observe in specimens 

 of plumbeus, and which is very possibly not constant in humi- 

 lis. 



As already observed, the tarsus, though much slenderer, is 

 very little shorter than in plumbeus. In the present specimen 

 it is exactly 3 inches in length, while in one large plumbeus, 

 with a wing 18*2 or more, it is, though double as thick, only 

 3*1 in length. 



42.— Haliaetus leucoryphus, Tall. 



" Extremely common in Sylhet, but is not often met with 

 in Eastern Cachar. Breeds about the beginning of December. 

 —J. I." 



A large female, just moulting into adult plumage, killed near 

 Dilkhushah. 



