■326 Notes upon some of the Indian and European Ragles. 



feathers in the scapular region of this specimen ; and he con- 

 ckides that the presence of these two little parti-colored feathers 

 demonstrates that the bird is Aq. ncevioides. In answer to this I 

 may observe, that I found a specimen of Aq. vindhiana with 

 parti-colored small scapulars; I have also seen a specimen of 

 Aq. mogilnik with parti-colored scapulars. Mr. Anderson too 

 speaks of one (P. Z. S., 1872, p. 621). The other day I exam- 

 ined an example of Citncuma leucogaster with some of the sca- 

 pular feathers having- one side of the feather fulvous, and the 

 other brown. I believe occasional parti-colored feathers are to 

 be found in most eagles, although to a greater extent in Aq. 

 nmvioides, which I believe retains them permanently in its most 

 advanced stage of plumage. At all events the Bosphorus ^. 

 bifasciaia is st,ruct%irally opposed to Ag. ncevioides, and its nos- 

 tril, though a dried ome, is most perfect ; having never had any 

 thread or string passed through it to keep the bill closed. 



Mr. Gurney suggests (in Epist.) that the process of desicca- 

 tion may have distorted the nostril ; so that though originally a 

 round one, it may now be lengthened : but this supposition is 

 quite out of the question. This climate, of ^ all others, will 

 thoroughly desiccate the whole bird, especially the hot winds of 

 the North-Western Provinces to which all my birds have been. 

 exposed ; and after examining my numerous specimens of eagles, 

 I find no material alteration ; certainly nothing to the extent 

 suggested by Mr. Gurney ; and it is still easy in every ease, by 

 looking at the nostril alone, supposing the body of the bird to 

 be covered up, to tell to wlfat class of eagle it belongs. By no 

 process of desiccation whatever, could the rather small round nos- 

 tril of Aq. navioides become the large long vertical one of Aquila 

 hifasciata. The size of the nostril in the two birds is so differ- 

 ent. I have not before observed that Aq. hifasciata, as a rule, 

 is Imperial Eagle size, which Aq. ncevioides is not ; and once 

 more I maintain that the tail of the latter is a plain black one, 

 very rarely barred, and then with the faintest possible barring 

 square to the shaft of the feather, and not extending more than 

 half way to the edge of the feather, if so much. 



Mr. Gurney informs me that if his m.emory does not deceive 

 him he has seen specimens of Aq. ncevioides with tails ais 

 strono-ly barred as that of the Bosphorus A. hifasciata in ques- 

 tion. ° All I can say to this is, that the birds with grey well 

 barred tails were not Aq. navioides, but some other species, pro- 

 bably A. hifasciata. I~Have again strongly drawn attention to 

 this question for my conclusions are disputed by English 

 ornithologists. They won^t believe it possible that they have 

 overlooked so large a bird in Europe as an eagle ; but the 



