83 BONELLI'S EAGLE. 
the great variety in its plumage, for which it is remarkable. A fine 
adult male, probably a typical specimen, has the ground-colour of 
head, nape, belly, and throat white, with brown markings on the head 
and nape, and narrow longitudinal streaks of reddish grey on the 
belly. Wings variegated with dark and light brown, the quill feathers 
darker. 
An adult female from Spain, in the same collection, has the head, 
nape, throat, belly, thighs, and under tail coverts, a rich cinnamon 
brown, streaked on the under parts with long narrow longitudinal 
black bands on the shafts of each feather. The head and nape are 
marked with dark longitudinal stripes. Back and tail dark brown; 
quill feathers darker, slightly marked with white. 
Three other specimens (females) have a plumage intermediate between 
the two, doubtless in consequence of age, as it varies much every 
year. According to Marmora and Temminck the beak in the adult is 
horn-colour; cere and feet livid yellow; iris brown. 
Birds of the year have the iris brownish yellow. Birds of the third 
year have the iris a clear yellow, and the tail without the dark border 
at its extremity, and marked with nine or ten transverse bands. There 
are seven large scales on the last joint of the median toe in the adult, 
and four on that of the external and internal. 
