330 Notes upon some of the Indian and European Eagles. 



lisb, confirms the first measurement. It will be thus seen^ that 

 the bird described \sfuU Imperial Eagle size j and this renders 

 Mr. Guruey^s conclusion^ that original A. navia was a bird the 

 size of Aq. kastata, impossible to be received. The tail is said to 

 be 12 inches long = 12| inches English ! Now what Aqtiila 

 hastaia or even A. navia, as we receive the bird in India^ has a 

 VI in. tail ? Is it possible that the specimen described was a 

 terribly elongated skin ? But though this would get rid of the 

 difficulty of total lengthy what becomes of the extra long- tail, 

 which certainly would not stretch. What a pity the old writers 

 omitted the all-important measurement of length of wing from 

 carpal joiiit ! But the expanse is said to be only 4 feet, ^^= 4 

 feet If English. This is too little for even Aq. hastaia ; so 

 that too much importance should not be attached to Brissou's 

 total length measurement. In the description of the colors there 

 are a few points noted, which strongly indicate the bird we 

 recognize in India as Aq. navia. " Ala subtus mactdis nmltis, 

 ovalibus, albis, hinc inde sparsis, insigniimtur. Crura et pedes pennis 

 vestiuntur ad principium dignitorum usque, et albis similiter notis 

 sunt flspersa." This reference to oval white spots could hardly 

 apply to any other eagle. The general color of the body is 

 thus described : *''' In universo fere corpore obscure ferrugineo 

 colore tingitur. Guttur tamen obscure albet." The tail feathers 

 are said to be white at their bases and their tips, and they are 

 also said to be transversely barred. " Rectrices in exortu et apice 

 albent ; in reliqua longitudine obscure, ferrugineo tinguntur, et 

 maculis latin sculis , fuscis transversim notantur." I have noticed 

 that some of the younger spotted examples have fairly barred 

 tails, although this is not the rule ; and frequently the inner 

 webs of the secondaries and tertials are barred. The only other 

 eagle, any thing like the description by Brisson, is the young 

 lineated Aquila mogilnik, and the dimensions, save expanse, 

 would agree well. Can it be possible that this spotted stage of 

 the Imperial eagle was the original A. navia ? I leave this for 

 better j udges than myself to settle. It is important to settle 

 the point, if possible, who was the original describer ; and 

 which has priority, Aquila navia, Schwenck, or Aquila clanga, 

 Klein ? One of the two latter authors may give some explicit 

 reference which will remove all doubt as to what the original 

 Aquila navia was. Again, it is possible, that although Pallas 

 and Brisson unite the two terms, they may after all refer to two 

 distinct species ? Brisson's reference to white on the tarsus, 

 as in the case of Pallas's description of Aq. clanga, points to our 

 Indian Nmvia or the spotted eagle of south-east Europe in con- 

 tradistinction to the small Pomoranian eagle. The latter I 



