1873.] ' 145 



On Aquila bifasciata akd Aquila oeientalis, — 

 hy W. E. Bkooks, C. E., Assensole. 



[Received 8th April, 1873.] 



I have long had in niy possession two specimens of Aquila orientalis, 

 Cab., one sent me by Dr. Bree and labelled by Mr. G-urney, and the other 

 from Mr. Dresser. The latter is a Sarepta specimen from the Volga region, 

 and the former, from the Dobrudscha. 



On retm*ning the Dobrudscha example, which Dr. Bree had submitted 

 to Mr. Gurney, the latter sent the following memorandum. 



" The eagle which I have ticketed ' Aquila orientalis, Cab.,' is identical 

 with that so often sent in collections from Sarepta near the mouth of the 

 Volga, and is in fact the only species of Eagle which I have seen from that 

 locality. I have hitherto been in the habit of calling this eagle ' Aquila 

 clanga of Pallas,' but as Pallas does not appear, by the description of his 

 Aquila clanga in the Zoog. Boss. As., Vol. I, p. 351, to distinguish between 

 this eagle and the smaller spotted eagle A. ncevia, and as his measurements, 

 which are given in old French feet, inches, and lines, (for a scale of which 

 see Einsch and Hartlaub's Vogel Ostafr.) agree better with A. ncevia than 

 with the present species, it will perhaps be best to adopt for the present 

 species the name of Aq. orientalis, proposed by Cabanis in the Journal fiir 

 Orn. 1854, p. 369, (note), which though not very well chosen is the next in 

 order of priority and the earliest that can with certainty be applied to this 

 eagle exclusively. The specimen now sent appears by its measurements to 

 be a female, and is in adult plumage ; the immature birds of this species being 

 spotted in precisely the same manner as those of Aquila ncevia which is 

 well shewn in Yarrell's figure of the * Spotted Eagle.' " 



I quote this memorandum by Mr. Gurney to shew upon what good 

 authority one of my specimens is named Aquila orientalis, and the other, 

 sent me by Mr. Dresser labelled A. clanga, Sarepta, closely resembles it. 



Mr. Gurney's statement, that the immature is spotted like Aquila 

 ncevia, is, as far as I can see at present, a mistake ; for we have the bii'd in 

 India {A. bifasciata) and it never in any way resembles A. ncevia. 



I have, from the first, been struck by the great similarity of these two 

 specimens to our Indian Aquila hifasciata. Gray and Hardwick ; but had 

 not till the other day obtained Indian specimens according in every respect, 

 to a feather, with the European examples of A. orientalis, above referred to. 

 Now I have, and the accordance is so beautifully perfect, that there is no 



