HUistrations of Indian Ornithology ; 



occurrence. Moreover, Swainson has separated the Falco cristatellus, an undoubted 

 member of tliis group, from the African crested Eagles, retaining however Spizafiix for 

 tlie Indian Bird, and classing the others under the genus Ilarpi/ia. Sii' W. Jardine too 

 in a letter to me waiting of the present subject says ' modified characters will receive both 

 this, and cristatellus.' I therefore prefer for the present retaining Hodgson's excellent 

 name as being more appropriate to the habits as well as structure of the birds of tliis 

 group than the name SpizcBtus. — Mr. G. R. Gray, in his Genera of Birds has put Kisivfus 

 as a synonjin of Limnatus. This is of coui'se a grievous error, this latter genus being 

 described as having all the claws nearly equal and small. 



The present species or large Hawk-Eagle was first described and named ])y Mr. 

 Hodgson in the 5th volume of the Journal of the Asiatic Society. When I drew up the 

 Catalogue of Peninsular Bu-ds in the Madras Journal, I was unawai-e of Hodgson's paper, 

 and referred this bird to the Falco niveus of authors, with the meagre descriptions of which 

 in the books of reference I had access to, it indeed sufficiently agrees. I have however since 

 ascertained it to be distinct.* I shall now give a description of the species represented here 

 taken partly fi-om my own observations, and partly from the obliging communications of 

 Mr. Blyth. 



Young bird. — Plumage above pale broAvn with the shaft and tip of each feather 

 somewhat darker. Beneath, imder wing-coverts and tibial plumes of a rusty white (in some 

 deeply stained "ndth ferruginous) with a very narrow mesial pale brown stripe on the 

 feathers, almost obsolete in some. — Tail above closely and numerously barred with brown, 

 on a pale brown ground. 



Adult. — Above deep aquiline or wood bro'ma. Beneath, pure white with a dark 

 brown mesial line to each feather ; broader in general in the female, and most developed 

 on the belly, on which in old birds the brown hue predominates, and takes the form of 

 bars. Under wing-coverts dark brown — under tail-coverts white banded brown — tibial 

 plumes deep brown, freckled whitish — tail hoary grey with seven bai-s and a broad subter- 

 minal one. 



An intermediate state of plumage is marked by the pale edging to the feathers 



• The name Strenuus, was printed on the Plate before I was aware that the specimeD from which 

 the drawing was taken was identical ia species with grandis. 



DSI 



