STRAY FEATHERS. 



Vol. I.] JULY, 1873. [No. 5. 



Hi/ W. Edwin Brooks, C. E. 

 No. II. 



Since ray former notice {vide page 290J I have received addi- 

 tional information of great interest to the ornithologist. 



I have two specimens of the eagle known as Aquila orientalis. 

 Cab., and erroneously termed by some authors Aq^. clanga of 

 Pallas. One of these specimens was sent to me by Dr. Bree of 

 Colchester, and is labelled Aci. orientalis, Cabanis, in Mr. Gur- 

 ney's own handwriting, the other was sent me by Mr. Dresser, 

 and was shot near Sarepta. 



The extreme similarity of these two birds to our Indian 

 Aquila hifasciata when nearly matm-e, frequently struck me ;,but 

 none of my Indian specimens corresponded exactly with them 

 as regarded the tail, although in other respects they accorded 

 perfectly. Now, however, I have just received Indian examples 

 of Aq. bifasciata, with tails exactly corresponding with those of 

 the two European A. orientalis above referred to. I have no 

 hesitation whatever in pronouncing the two species to be iden- 

 tical. Aq. bifasciata is, I believe, the older term, and if so, Aq. 

 orientalis, Cab., will sink into a synonym. 



I have thus now in my possession three examples of Aq. 

 hifasciata shot in Europe, which I consider quite sufficient to 

 establish the species as European. I keep them by me with their 

 Indian counterparts, and whoever doubts my conclusion can satisfy 

 himself by examination. It was not to be expected that a migra- 

 tory eagle of similar size and power to A. mogilnik should be re- 

 stricted to Eastern Europe, considering that we have in India A. 

 chryscRtos, A. mogilnik vel imperialis, A. ncBvioides and A. navia. 



The migratory eagles are not local, but are, as a rule, Tery 

 widely spread. 



Speaking of the matui'e example of Aq. hifasciata which was 

 sent to me by Captain Elwes, Mr. Gurney (Ibis, 1870, pp. 67 

 and 68) attaches considerable importance to the two parti-colored 



