805 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 

 No. I— THE IDENTIFICATION OF ACCIPITRINE BIRDS 



{Concluded from page 594 of this Volume^ 

 Having dealt with Spizaetus in the last number of this Journal, we now 

 come on to the so-called Eagles, which have their tarsus or sbank bone naked 

 of feathers, or only partially covered, as in some of the Fish Eagles, and 

 following the order in the Fmma of British India, Birds, Vol. Ill, page 355, 

 we find the genus Circaetus and next to it Spilornis, two closely allied genera. 

 Orcaetus has but one species C. gallicus, the Short-toed Eagle, whereas, in the 

 genu^ Spilornis there are three species, viz., S. cheela, the Crested Serpent- 

 Eagle ; S, minirrms, the Little Nicobar Serpent-Eagle, and S. elgini, the Andaman 

 Serpent-Eagle, Circaetus, however, can be easily distinguished from Spilornis, 

 in not having any crest, whereas in Spilornis, the feathers on the sides of the 

 neck and nape are lengthened, to form a rounded and conspicuous crest. 

 Before, however, showing the diiferences in the three species of Spilornis, it 

 will be as well to discuss the characteristics of Circaeius more fully, for 

 though it can so easily be distinguished from Spilornis, in the latter having 

 a crest, the casual observer might easily get confused between the genera 

 Circaetus, Butastur and Buteo, unless be has something more substantial to go 

 upon, than simply the mention of the name and the fact that it has no 

 crest. 0. gallicus, the Short-toed Eagle, the only Indian species of the genus 

 Circaetus, is a bird about 26 inches long (male), tail 11 '5" ; wing 21" ; the female 

 being a little larger, length 28", Irides bright orange-yellow and the only 

 species in the whole family Fulconince with a v:hite or whitish cere. It 

 resembles Butastur not a little, but is much larger, neither of the three species 

 of Butastur measuring more than 17" or 18" from bill to tail. 



The species of the genus Buteo which resemble, in point of size, Circaetus 

 gallicus, can be distinguished, however, by having ih.G front part of the tarsus 

 partially (for about | of its length) covered with feathers, whereas in C. 

 gallicus the tarsus is naked, and also in having their toes very unequal in 

 length. 

 Now to return to Spilornis. 



Key to the Species. 

 a. Pale wing-bar near tips of quills broader than adjoin- 

 ing dai'k interspace. 

 a' Dark brown on back, with metallic gloss ; wing 



15" to 21" ., S. cheela. 



(The Crested Serpent-Eagle). 

 h' Earthy brown on back, little or no gloss ; wing 



11" to 12" S. minimus. 



(The Little Nicobar Serpent-Eagle). 

 6 Last pale wing-bar narrower than dark interspace in 



f yont of it , .,.,...,.,.■......,.,., 3... S. elgini. 



- - ■ (The Andaman Serpent-Eagle). 



