04 Broolcs on Imperial Hagles of India. [Apeil, 



A note on the drawing states the specimen to have been lost. Some of 

 Mr. Hodgson's boxes of specimens were lost on their way to England. 



The drawing is marked " Ci/gnus ferus, wild swan," in Hodgson's own 

 handwriting. Another note states, that the bird was " shot in the valley 

 of Nepal, January, 1829." 



This swan should, therefore, have been included in Jerdon's Birds of India, 

 for many of the birds therein described stand upon the occurrence of a single 

 specimen. 



In the last No. of the Ibis, that for October, 1871, page 412, Mr. 

 Hume describes a pair of swans, killed on the 17th January, 1871, at the 

 Jubbee stream, on the borders of the Hazara and Rawalpindi districts. 

 He also observes, that " swans appear to be regular annual visitants to 

 this locality, and several places lying between Rawalpindi and the wes- 

 tern limit of the Peshawur valley." 



Upon Mr. Hume's description of this pair of swans, the editor of the 

 Ibis remarks : " The bu-ds here described appear to us to be referable to the 

 young of Cygnus oJor, the tubercle of the bill being undeveloped, and the 

 yellow of the anterior portion of the bill not yet assumed." 



In this opinion the Rev. H. B. Tristram entirely concurs, with greater 

 certainty than expressed by the editor of the Ibis ; this in a letter to me, so 

 that we may safely also add this species to the Indian list. 



The swans of India are therefore Cygnus olor and Oygnus ferus. 



The latter bird was added by Hodgson, and is included in Gray's Cata- 

 logue of Hodgson's drawings and specimens, presented to the British Museum. 



The Ir.vperial Eagles of India, — ly W. E. Beooks, C. E., Utdwah. 

 (Reed. 21st February, 1872.) 



It has been supposed by many, that the Indian Imperial Eagles were 

 all referable to one species, which was again identical with the Em'opean 

 bird. 



The European species, true Aquila imperialis, Bechst., is, however, quite 

 distinct from our Indian birds, as Mr. Howard Saunders has recently shewn 

 in a late number of the P. Z. S. 



The young of the European bird is a plain tawny brown, and is never 

 lineated. The old buxl differs from om- Indian species in having white on 

 the ridge of the wing, as well as white scapular feathers. Neither of our 

 Indian birds can, therefore, any longer retain the name of ionperialis. 



There are four stages of Imperial Eagle found in India, and the 

 East generally. These have been referred to one species by Dr. Jerdon 

 and others, but were distinguished by Mr. Hodgson. 



They are of two distinct species, Aqidla a^assipes, Hodgson, and Aquila 

 hifasciata, Gray and Hardwicke. 



