494 



fix the specific name of ncevia with certainty to any species as we are ; for Donndorff, writing 

 in 1794, says that Klein referred it to the Goshawk, Buflbn to the Black Kite, and Bechstein to 

 the Peregrine, the following heing his words (Orn. Beitr. zur Linn. Natursyst. i. p. 86): — "Falco 

 ncevius, nach Klein zu Falco palumharius gehorig, nach Buffon mit dem vorhergehenden [Falco 

 ater] einerley, nach Bechstein eine Spielart von Falco peregrinus." Altogether the uncertainty 

 as to which bird is referred to under the name and description of Falco ncevius and Aquila ncevia 

 is so great that there is no alternative but to discard this specific name altogether. 



The next in order is Falco maculatus of Gmelin, which he describes (Syst. Nat. i. p. 258. 

 no. 50) as follows : — " Longitudo bipedalis. Rostrum magnum et ungues nigri ; irides cinerese ; 

 pennse scapularum et tectrices alarum apice macula ovali albicante insignitse ; dorsi maculis 

 coloris bubalini ; venter similibus lineis striatus." I previously considered that this description 

 applied to the Lesser Spotted Eagle, and still think it not improbable that such may be the case ; 

 but in some respects it agrees with the young of the Larger Spotted Eagle, though not as regards 

 size. It therefore appears unadvisable to use it for either species ; and it also must be entirely 

 ignored. We now come to Aquila clanga, Pall., the description of which is (as I believe is uni- 

 versally allowed) clearly applicable to the Larger Spotted Eagle, which will accordingly bear 

 that name. Having found a name for the Larger Spotted Eagle, it now remains to find one 

 also for its smaller ally, which is a matter of some difficulty. The name which comes next 

 in date, and which is, I consider, that which will stand, is that of Aquila pomarina, given by 

 C. L. Brehm (I. c.) in 1831 ; but, as is the case with almost all the species described in his 

 ' Handbuch d. Naturg. Vog. Deutschl.,' the description of this bird is extremely faulty ; and 

 though there can be no doubt that the species to which he gives this name, as well as his Aquila 

 ncevia, are both the Lesser Spotted Eagle, yet he says that the nostrils are ear-shaped, having 

 probably taken his description from a stuffed specimen ; for in both the Spotted Eagles the 

 nostrils are round. Ludwig Brehm, however, in 1856, in his "Notes on Birds not adequately 

 described" (I. c), under Aquila pomarina, gives excellent descriptions of both the old and young 

 birds, clearly demonstrating that his father's Aquila pomarina really is the present species ; and I 

 have therefore no hesitation in using this name, and thus avoiding the necessity of making use 

 of an altogether new name — and am the more pleased to do this, because the specific title of 

 pomarina is by no means inapplicable ; for the Lesser Spotted Eagle is the common Spotted 

 Eagle of Pomerania. Some time ago, when working at the Spotted Eagles with Mr. W. E. 

 Brooks, I was inclined to discard all Brehm's names on account of inadequate description ; for I 

 had not then had my attention attracted by Ludwig Brehm's article ; and with Brehm's names 

 set aside there would be no valid name for the present species. Mr. Brooks urged me to give 

 the bird a new name ; but this I refused to do, not wishing to rechristen so well-known a bird 

 until I had fully convinced myself that none of the names already bestowed on it could stand ; 

 and Mr. Brooks, being free to act independently in the matter, decided on taking this course 

 himself, and rechristened the bird, on account of the conspicuous nuchal patch in the immature 

 dress, Aquila rufonuchalis. Mr. J. H. Gurney (Ibis, 1877, p. 330) indorsed Mr. Brooks's views, and 

 adopted his name for the Lesser Spotted Eagle ; but, after having gone carefully into the question 

 with me, he now agrees that pomarina is the correct specific name to be used for this Eagle. 



The present species, which will therefore bear the name of Aquila pomarina, has, compara- 



