328 Notes upon some of the Indian and European Eagles. 



with Aq. bifasciata vel orientalis j for Pallas says, the tail is: 

 black, " Cauda nigra" ; again he says, the back is black, 

 '' dorsum nigrum." This could only apply to our Indian spotted 

 eagle which frequently has the plumage very dark indeed 

 and nearly black. The legs are said to be " nigricante albo 

 varies" The white tarsus, or partly white tarsus is characteristic 

 of Aq. navia, I mean of Aquila nmvia, as we know it in India, 

 for Mr. Gurney now separates our bird as Aq. vittata, Hodgson. 

 This I cannot understand, and he must prove the assertion before 

 it can be generally received. 



Pallas, after saying that the back is black as well as the tail, 

 and surely he could not have overlooked the strongly barred 

 grey tail of Aq. bifasciata vel orientalis, says, the wing coverts 

 are spotted with white, (" tectricibus albo variegatis"). Alto- 

 gether, as far as I can understand his description, it is utterly 

 impossible to apply it to Aquila bifasciata vel orientalis, but it 

 suits large examples of our Indian spotted eagle and no other 

 bird that I know of. This bird I have procured measuring 2 feet 

 44 inches total length ; wing, 20^ inches; and weighing 6j lbs., 

 a female of course. This species varies excessively in size, and 

 I have some very small examples, barely exceeding Aq. hastata, 

 in size. The way in which A. hastata and our Indian spotted 

 eagle, which we call navia approach each other as regards size, 

 renders it difficult to find out which the original A. navia was. 

 I have an excessively meagre description by Gmelin, which to 

 me appears to indicate the bird we recognize as %^^?^a in India, 

 although some of the English naturalists evidently receive 

 another bird as ncBvia. I believe the original description, which 

 I have never seen, is by Brisson. 



The two Turkish spotted eagles sent me by Captain Elwes, 

 as I mentioned before, are identical to a feather with our Indian 

 A. ncevia in the same plumage. Mr. Gurney suggests that I may 

 have received the immature of Aq. orientalis. This is quite 

 impossible, for the two birds have the perfect ncevia spotted 

 plumage, and, moreover, have the small roundish nostril of that 

 species ; besides, they have plain black tails, which Aq. orientalis 

 has not. It would be rather strange too, if I who have shot so 

 many of this species in this very plumage, and who have had at 

 least four times the number of specimens through my hands 

 that any of the English ornithologists "have had, should not 

 know the bird when I see it from Europe. I have seen most of the 

 specimens belonging to Messrs. Hume, Anderson, and Marshall 

 as well as my own. However, when I submit the birds at a 

 meeting of Z. S., there will be no doubt upon this point, and 

 this I shall do unless my identifications are accepted. To separate 



