REVIEW, 517 



There is one other Indian genus of fishing- eagles, Policctus, P. ich- 

 thycetus occurs in the Deccan and South Maratha Country, not com- 

 monly ; and may probably occur in Gujarat. 



Its habits seem to be pretty much those of the Ring-tailed Eagle, but 

 it is more exclusively a fisher. The bird itself is smaller, and has a 

 white belly and tail, with a broad black tip. The other has a brown 

 belly, sometimes almost chestnut, and brown tail with a most con- 

 spicuous white band. The Grey-backed Eagle has almost the colouring 

 of sea-gulls generally, i.e., white, with a grey back, but the tail is 

 dark with a broad white tip. The Osprey, which is almost the only 

 other bird likely to be mistaken for a Sea-eagle, is white below, except 

 the breast, where there are brown markings, with a white head like 

 the last eagle, and the upper parts dark brown ; looking black at a 

 little distance. It has also a dark stripe from each eye down the 

 white neck, which gives a very peculiar expression to the face, and 

 is visible from some distance. Coupled with the very bright and 

 powerful eye, it makes one think of those *' human subjects," 

 (generally of some character, or at least of healthy constitution and 

 habits), whose clearness of eye remains undimmed, even after the 

 "crow's foot" has found each corner. It may be added that, of 

 these four ornaments of our waters, the Osprey alone plunges into 

 them. If a large bird of prey is seen to descend on the water " slan- 

 tindicular," and clutch up an object from the surface ; it is probably a 

 sea-eagle. They even prefer to get sticks for nest-building in this 

 way. If it plunges almost straight down (but never " plumb "] 

 sending the spray flying ; and emerging, after^ a perceptible but 

 short period, with the fish clutched ; it is an osprey. The 

 " Brahminy kite " is to be distinguished by its conspicuous color- 

 ation, and the other kites by their forked tails, both by their 

 smaller size. The gannets, boobies, and terns plunge at a right 

 angle to the horizon, otherwise, like the osprey ; the gulls and 

 Procellaridce (Albatrosses, Shearwaters, and Petrels) pick their prey 

 off the surface like eagles and kites. But, of all these, only the 

 eagles and osprey use the " clutches " in its capture. The webbed 

 feet of the rest are paddles, and not weapons ; and, as they rise with 

 prey, it is to be looked for in the bill, and not in the clutch. Its presence 

 is known to the old fisherman (to whom a knowledge of such " sign" — 



