IN JERPON OR STRAY FEATHERS. 339 



Some specimens show traces of the wing bars, characteristic 

 of the precediDg stage, but the more adult of them show more 

 or less of a reddish buff patch on the nape and pale margins 

 to the lesser wing-coverts. 



A good many, which I suppose to be those nearest to the first 

 form, besides showing traces of the wing bars, have all the fea- 

 thers of the lower abdomen narrowly tipped with dingy ful- 

 vous white. 



That this is really the adult stage there can be no doubt ; 

 but even here the changes are most confusing, because one 

 bird for instance, having a most conspicuous orange buff patch 

 on the nape, has the whole of the upper tail-coverts a clear 

 fulvous white, as in the first stage; while another, though of 

 a deeper brown, shows no trace of buff upon the nape, and has 

 the upper tail-coverts uniform blackish brown, as in the adult. 



The wing-lining also varies very much in this stage. In 

 some, and these by no means the most advanced, it is alto- 

 gether deep brown, as in the perfect adult, while in others, by 

 no means the least advanced, it is a rufous buff, or a rufous 

 buff mingled with dark brown ; in one, and that a bird show- 

 ing the incipient orange buff head, they are precisely as in the 

 second stage; the lesser and median lower wing-coverts beino" 

 uniform pale hair brown, and the larger lower wing-coverts 

 white. — Hume, u Rough Notes. 3 '' 



28 bis.— Aquila fulvescens, Gray. 



The following is a description of a young, just adult male ; 

 older birds assume a much more ruddy ferruginous plumage 

 and are less huffy ; as in A. clang a, the nostrils are circular : — 



Male. — Length, 26'5 ; expanse, 61*0 ; weight, in lbs., 394 ; 

 bill, width at gape, 1-69 ; wing, 19'25 ; length of tail from vent, 

 10-63 ; tarsus, 4'06 ; bill from gape, 2-28. 



Feet pale dingy yellow ; claws darkish brown ; iris pale 

 yellowish brown ; the whole lower mandible and basal half 

 of upper mandible greyish white, with a tinge of blue ; tip of 

 upper inaudible horny brown ; cere and gape pale dingy 

 yellow. 



Plumage. — The whole head, throat, neck all round, breast, 

 sides, abdomen, and thigh-coverts, a pure buff; most of the 

 feathers darker shafted, and those of the top of the head con- 

 spicuously so ; a narrow dusky, ill-defined, supercilium running 

 backwards over and behind the ear-coverts ; upper back and 

 scapulars light brown, the longest of the latter only some- 



