508 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. X, 



Ohina, always in bare mountain countiy. After the lamniergeyer 

 come the typical eagles, of whicli the golden eagle occurs, 

 within our limits, only in Baluchistan and Sind. As it is rare, we 

 quote verbatim : " this eagle breeds in the higher Himalayas, and 

 Mr. Hume thought he recognized it in the Sind Hills and on the 

 Makran Coast." The present writer saw an old and a j^oung bird 

 together in the Larkhana Division of Upper Sind i "about 15 mile« 

 from the foot of the hills," says the contemporary note^ dated 15th 

 March, 1882. They were on the ground near a village (where 

 carrion used to be thrown out), and allowed of approach to about 

 40 yards distance, when they rose, and the light shot rattled vainly on 

 their quills. The broad white base and dark tip of the young bird's 

 tail were then very distinct, and the mother's great size noticeable. 



These birds had been carefully examined with a glass before going 

 near them, and the young one's tail specially noted for observation on 

 its rising. In such a case this is needful, as the young of the next 

 species (Aquila heliaca, the Imperial eagle) have, in " the iineated 

 stage/"' the *' tail broadly tipped with fulvous white, remainder of tail 

 uniform dull brown," The Imperial eagle is to be seen, in the cold 

 weather, all over our province (though not anywhere a common 

 bird), and Dr. Jerdon found it breeding " in the Deccan," probably 

 near Jalna, as he was stationed there. It is very commonly called, 

 and taken for, a golden eagle, and the mistake is an easy one to make 

 in old birds flying over head. If one can see the back, the white 

 markings of the Imperial eagle, though very variable, will often be 

 conspicuous enough lO distinguish it by. Mr. Blanford has well rid us 

 of the barbarous specific name " Ifogilnik^'; and even ^^ImperiaUs" was 

 objectionable, as much too good for the bird. It is, as he says, " a 

 sluggish heavy bird, often seen sitting on trees, sometimes on the 

 ground in open country. It feeds much on carrion, though it also 

 kills small mammals, birds, and lizards for food." Jerdon, indeed;^ says : 

 " When it does condescend to partake of carrion, it allows) no other birds 

 to approach till it has satisfied its hunger." But the present writer 

 once saw brown vultures, around a dead horse, bring an Imperial eagle 

 to rather less than equal terms ; within a few seconds after he joined 

 them. The proceedings were watched through a glass, and the eagle 

 shot and identified without being lost sight of meanwhile. The 



