AQUILINJE. 59 



28. Aquila nsevia, Gmel. 



Falco, apud Gmelin — Blyth., Cat. 112 — HoRSF., Cat. 55 — 

 Gould's Birds of Europe, pL 8 — A. melanaetus, Sav. — A. clanga, 

 Pall. — A. vittata, Hodgs. — Kaljanga, H. — Bukayari Jiyadha^ 

 Beng. — Nella gedha^ Tel., i. e. Black Kite. 



The Spotted Eagle. 



Descr. — Adult, richly empurpled brown on the scapulars, inter- 

 scapulars, and lesser wing coverts ; the lanceolate feathers of the 

 head and neck somewhat lighter brown, streaked paler, and the 

 under parts generally lighter brown than the upper plumage ; some 

 larger and purer white spots on the greater wing coverts, and two 

 white bars tipping the secondaries and greater coverts, as in A. 

 imperialis ; the tibial plumes similarly spotted : the under tail 

 coverts, and generally the short tarsal plumes, are white, and the 

 abdomen is more or less streaked with fulvous. Young birds are 

 pale brown throughout, lighter beneath ; and in the intermediate 

 plumage the feathers are dark, centred with pale brown ; some have 

 the plumage dark dull brown, with dingy white markings. 



Length of male 25 inches ; wing 20 ; tail 10. A female was 28 

 inclies ; wing 22; tail 11; tarsus 3f ; mid toe barely 3; bill at 

 gape 2\ ; height | ; cere, orbits, and feet dark yellow ; irides deep 

 brown : the wings reach to the end of the tail ; nostrils very 

 round. 



The Spotted Eagle is found throughout India in suitable places. 

 It prefers the neighbourhood of cultivation, especially of wet paddy 

 fields, or the vicinity of tanks and marshes in a well-wooded 

 country. It is tolerably common in the Carnatic, and Malabar 

 Coast ; rare in the table land. It preys upon all sorts of birds or 

 small animals that it can manage to pick up, squirrels, rats ; also 

 lizards and frogs. It has a wild clanging cry, compared by Pallas 

 to the sound 'jeb, jeb, jeb/ which it frequently utters when 

 perched on a high tree. It breeds on trees. I have seen their 

 nests, but did not procure the eggs. Blyth says it is common in 

 the Bengal Sunderbunds. It is also found in the south of Europe, 

 N. Africa, and Western Asia, and has been killed in England. 



