228 Summary Description of some [April, 



This is a shy bird, which adheres exclusively to the wild and moun- 

 tainous tracts of the hills. Its body is entirely free from offensive 

 odour and vermin, and its prey chiefly the pheasants of the region 

 it frequents, as well as their eggs. Its weight is about 4£ lbs. 

 Genus Huliceetus. Species new. H. Albipes, (mihi.) 



This species is two feet nine inches long, and six feet eight between 

 the tips of the wings. In colour it nearly resembles Macei, having 

 the head, neck, and body, pale ruddy brown, darker on the thighs 

 and rump ; the scapulars, wings and tail, saturate brown : a large 

 bar of pure white through the centre of the tail : and the cheeks, chin, 

 and throat, hoary. The bill and head are considerably narrower than 

 in the golden eagle, but the bill is fully as long in proportion to the 

 head, and even more so. The toes are longer and less thick than in 

 that species, and the talons rather more curved. In other respects, 

 these members sufficiently resemble those of the type of Aquila. But 

 the tarsi are nearly nude : the acropodia, as well as acrotarsia, wholly 

 scaled; and the toes are cleft. The bill is longer than the head, 

 straight towards the base, and at it nearly twice as broad as 

 high. The lateral compression is, in general, moderate, and the 

 ridge acutish ; the hook, large ; the cutting edges, even. The cere, 

 large, nude, clad only on the sides towards the base with soft hairs, 

 diverging from the fore angle of the eye. Nostrils, forward, sub-basal, 

 obliquely transverse, irregularly oval, simple, and inclined to a curve 

 at the forward extremity. The tarsi are low, thick, and gummy ; 

 plumed over the knee, and a little below it. The toes, longish, un- 

 equal, stout, cleft to their origins ; but the outer not versatile. To the 

 front, both tarsi and toes are scaled, as already noted ; but the junc- 

 tion of the toes and tarsi, as well as the sides and backs of the latter, 

 are reticulate. The central toe is as long as the tarsi. The talons 

 are long, arched, stout, and moderately acute : the hind one being the 

 largest. All are flat below. The wings are very nearly equal to the 

 tail, and have the fourth quill longest. Most of the great quills are 

 strongly emarginated, high up, on both webs. The tail is of medial 

 length, and square. The hook of the bill and the talons are black ; the 

 bill blue ; the cere yellow : iris hazel brown, and feet pure white. 



This species is generally found on the banks of the larger rivers, 

 near to where they issue into the plains, and it preys on fish. 



Genus Nisactus, (mihi.) 



The birds of this genus are distinguished by wings and tail formed 

 upon the accipitrine model ; but their nares are transverse and specu- 

 lated as in the eagles. Their festooned bills have a form which is 

 osculant between the hawks and buzzards. They have the long slen- 



