306 NOTES ON THE SPOTTED EAGLE, AQUILA NiEVIA. 



The next sentence to be noticed is, " Crura et pedes pennis 

 restiiin tur a d principiura digitorum usque, et albis similiter 

 notis sunt aspersa." The thighs of the larger bird are most 

 strongly streaked with huffy white. 



The secondary and tertiary quills, of a young example of the 

 larger species, are generally well barred on the inner webs, and 

 their ends are broadly tipped with dull white. This is noted in 

 the description. Again, " Rectrices in exortu et apice albent ; 

 in reliqua longitudine obscure ferrugiueo tinguntur, et maculis 

 latiusculis fuscis transversim notantur." The tail of immature 

 ncevia is well barred and white at the bases and tips of the 

 feathers. Not only are the bases of the rectrices white, but the 

 lower row of upper tail-coverts is generally snowy white. 



Brisson's description is not a good one, but it applies 

 fairly to the larger species, which Mr. Hume terms ie Aquila 

 clanga" 



It should be noticed that one of Brisson's synonyms is Aquila 

 clanga, Klein. Pallas adopts this term, and quotes Willoughby 

 as the author of it. He also gives Aquila ncevia, Brisson, as 

 a synonym. It is thus clear that Aquila ncevia and Aquila clanga 

 are synonymous; and if the former term cannot be applied to 

 the larger Spotted Eagle, neither can the latter. 



Pallas, like many other old authors, did not apparently feel 

 bound to confine himself to the oldest term in use for a species. 

 For example, he termed the Skylark Alauda codipeta, using 

 Klein's term, which author he quotes. It is, therefore, plain 

 enough that Pallas, in his Aquila clanga, only quoted an old 

 existing term by Klein. In the face of Pallas's synonyms, it is 

 snrelv indefensible to attempt to separate clanga from ncevia, and 

 the favourite practice should be discontinued. Pallas's description, 

 I may observe, perfectly suits the larger Spotted Eagle ; and 

 the pointed reference to the white, so often found on the tarsus, 

 conclusively fixes the species intended. 



Let us now consider Latham's description of " The Spotted 

 Eagle" 



" Falco maculatus," Latham. 



His synonyms are : — 



Morphno congener, Raii. Syn., p. 7., Will., p. 32, Id. Engl., 

 63, Geui. Orn. I., t. iv. 



Kleiner Fisch Adler, Naturf, viii., s. 54. 



Aquila Clanga, Klein, Av., p. 41. 



Spotted Eagle, Gen. Syn. I., p 38. Arct. Zool. II., p. 215. 



Latham says : " Wings marked with oval white spots, which 

 are larger as they are placed more downwards, and on the 

 greater coverts they occupy almost the whole of the end ; the 

 back spotted with pale buff colour." 



