NOTES ON THE SPOTTED EAGLE, AQUILA NJEVIA. 309 



2. — Bough-footed Eagle, Lath. I have not seen the descrip- 

 tion, but the old authors, including Pallas, apply the term to the 

 larger species. 



3. — Spotted Eagle, Latham, is the English term for his 

 Falco maculatus. 



4. — Falco maculatus, Latham, Gen. S. N., p. 258 (1788.) 

 Using the generic term Aquila, Latham's term becomes Aquila 

 macidata. 



Gmelin's Falco maculatus is quoted from Latham. The 

 same description, much condensed and in Latin. No one will 

 fail to see that it is clearly applicable only to the young bird of 

 the larger Spotted Eagle. Gmelin, quoting from Brisson, 

 describes the same species as Falco nczvius. Note the geogra- 

 phical distribution Latham gives of his Falco macidalus, even 

 to Kamtschatcha. One of Latham's synonyms is Aquila 

 clanga, Klein. Is it not then easy to connect Latham's F. macu- 

 latus with the larger species, the Asiatic one ? Gmelin's Falco 

 ncevius, I think no one will deny, is not an original description, 

 but is Brisson's one condensed. The synonymy connects Bris- 

 son's Aqxdla ncevia with Aqidla clanga, Klein. Two birds equal 

 to one and the same are identical, and nczvius is clanga and 

 maculatus is clanga. We know that Pallas's Aquila clanga is 

 not one originally described, but is a reproduction of Klein's 

 species. In the face of these facts I cannot see that it is 

 possible to give the term maculatus to the small Local Eagle, 

 without committing a great mistake. Is it at all likely that the 

 old authors knew, as a rule, that there were two Spotted Eagles ? 

 I don't think there is any evidence to shew that any other than 

 the larger and widely distributed bird was known to the old 

 authors. 



If Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser apply the term Aquila maculata 

 to the Pomeranian Eagle, how about the bird being found all 

 over Asia even to the extreme east ? We don't hear of the 

 Pomeranian Eagle in Eastern Asia, but Latham tells us his 

 Falco maculatus a is found everywhere in Russia and in Sibe- 

 ria, and even in Kamtschatcha." We know that Siberian 

 birds winter in India ; therefore the migratory Pomeranian 

 Eagle is an Indian bird. This is the conclusion to be arrived 

 at if we bestow Latham's term upon the Little Pomeraniau 

 Eagle, a conclusion not at all in accordance with Messrs. 

 Sharpe's and Dresser's views. 



5. — Aquila ncevia. This is the fifth synonym Mr. Sharpe 

 gives; and here lollows a long list of authors who have misap- 

 plied the term, and have, according to Mr. Sharpe, applied it to 

 the lesser bird. 



6. — Aquila melanaetus, Savigu., 1809, was previously (1788) 

 applied to the Golden Eagle. 



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