310 NOTES ON THE SPOTTED EAGLE, AQTJILA NjEYIA. 



7. — Aquila planga, Bonn et Vieill, 1823. planga and clang a 

 refer to the Oriental bird. 



8. — Aquila bifasciata, Brehm. Vog. Deutschl, p. 25 (1831 ex 

 Hornsch nee Gray.) 



The question is, is this correctly given as a synonym by Mr. 

 Sharpe ?* As I have noticed (as might be expected) some errors 

 in the synonymy of the catalogue, I am not prepared to pin 

 my faith to this identification, especially as others of Brehm's 

 terms are clearly applicable to the little eagle in question. 



9. — Aquila pomarina, Brehm, Vog Deutschl, -p. 27 (1831). 



This appears to be a likely term for the little Eagle which is 

 now in search of a name ; but I cannot ascertain, with the 

 limited means at my command, whether his other term of 

 Aquila subneevia may not be the prior term. The latter clearly, 

 I think, refers to the lesser species ; and is a much more suitable 

 term for it than Aquila maculata, which is wholly inapplicable. 

 We Indian ornithologists must depend upon European ornitho- 

 logists to let us know whether pomarina or subneevia is the 

 correct term, depending upon which was bestowed first. 



10. — Aquila fitsca, Brehm, (1855). This is at all events a 

 modern term, and was applied by Gray and Hardwick (1832) 

 to Aquila hastata, not to Aquila vinclhiana as supposed by 

 some. 



11. — Aquila fulviventris, Brehm, (1855). May or may not 

 be the lesser bird. The more fulvous bird below is the larger 

 species when immature. The equivalent of this term has been 

 previously applied (1819) to Haliaetus leucoryphus. 



12. — Aquila maculata, Dresser, 1874, is the last synonym 

 and a reproduction of Latham's term. I have said enough 

 about the inapplicability of the term, and need not say more. 

 Our safest course at present is to adopt Brehm's term of 

 Aquila pomarina for the Lesser Spotted Eagle. If it should 

 ever be shewn that this is a synonym of the Larger Spotted 

 eagle, then we have Brehm's other term of Aquila subiuzvia. 

 to fall back upon. 



It will be seen that I am assuming the accuracy of Messrs. 

 Sharpe' s and Dresser's statements, that though the European 

 adult bird is very close to Aquila hastata, yet there is a marked 



* This seems doubtful. In the XHIth or Supplemental Vol., (published by his 

 son) of Naumann's great (but to most Englishmen too little known) work on the 

 birds of Germany, Aquila fusca, bifasciata and ncevia, of Brehm, are all treated as 

 synonyms of " Der grosse Schreiadler," which he calls clanga, p. 40. The plates and 

 text leave no doubt that the larger species is here intended. It may be worth noticing 

 that in this same volume, the adult of A. bifasciata, Gray, is figured (T. 340) as a 

 2 -year old heliaca, impcrialis, or whatsoever the white scapular-patched species 

 should now be called. Also, that the plates, Nos. 10 and 11, of the lesser " Schreiadler," 

 which he calls ncevia (Vol. I.) so exactly represent specimens that I possess of 

 hastata, that I can hardly believe that they were taken from specimens of another 

 species. — Ed. 



