514 



have darker shaft-marks, and are also tinged with greyish brown, which is darkest along the sides of 

 each feather, forming a tolerably distinct border and producing a particoloured feather, in some cases 

 with a slight fawn tip, and resembling in character the corresponding feathers in the adult South- 

 African bird, but with the contrast of tints much less strongly marked ; the lower scapulars are of a 

 dark slaty brown, faintly tipped with fawn, and showing, in some lights, a purplish reflection; the 

 wing-coverts, except those of the primaries and secondaries, are fawn-coloured, this tint being unbroken 

 along the ridge of the wing, but elsewhere varied with a slaty-black centre to each feather, which 

 become more conspicuous in proportion as they recede from the ridge of the wing ; the primary- and 

 secondary-coverts are slaty black, some of the inner webs being tipped with whitish, and all the outer 

 webs with fawn-colour ; all the quill-feathers of the wing are black, with a tinge of grey on the outer 

 webs, and with fawn-coloured tips ; the secondaries also show some dark but rather indistinct transverse 

 bars ; the upper surface of the tail is dark slate-colour, with eight transverse bars of a darker hue 

 visible on the middle rectrices, these bars being less distinct, and assuming more the character of 

 mottling, towards the sides of the tail ; all the rectrices have narrow fulvous tips ; the entire under- 

 surface is fawn-coloured, decidedly paler than the back, and with no dark markings, except a few 

 narrow shaft-marks on the breast ; the wing-linings and throat are paler than the rest of the under - 

 surface; and the chin is nearly white; but with these exceptions there is hardly any perceptible 

 variation in the tints of the underparts." 



The Tawny Eagle inhabits Africa generally, and in the Palsearctic Region ranges as far east as 

 Palestine ; but it very rarely occurs on the northern side of the Mediterranean. Lord Lilford 

 possesses an immature Eagle from Spain which, though somewhat doubtful, is probably referable 

 to the present species ; and he assures me that he has no doubt whatever that he has more than 

 once seen this Eagle in Southern Spain. It is supposed to have occurred in France ; but 

 Mr. Howard Saunders informs me that he has recently most carefully examined the supposed 

 examples obtained by Crespon, now in the Museum at Nimes, and that in the Museum at Aries, 

 cited by Degland and Gerbe, and they are certainly immature examples of Aquila adalberti, 

 as are also several other specimens obtained in the Pyrenees. It is not known to have occurred 

 in Italy, Southern Germany, or Greece ; but there is an undoubted instance of its occurrence 

 and nidification in South-eastern Europe, first referred to in a letter from Dr. W. H. Cullen 

 (Ibis, 1867, p. 247). This gentleman obtained two nestling birds at Kustendji, Turkey, in the 

 spring of 1865, one of which remained in his possession till January 1868, when he presented it 

 to the Zoological Society of Antwerp, where it now is. Dr. Cullen, writing to Dr. Bree, says : — 

 " I had two birds half-fledged brought me ; and as I was attracted by their colour (a light cream) 

 I bought them ; one died, the survivor is at Antwerp. The whole plumage was this delicate 

 ' fauve isabelline ' silk down ; and then it grew gradually developing itself into an almost perfect 

 copy of your Aquila ncevioides." 



Sketches and a description of this specimen were sent to Dr. Bree (for the new edition of 

 his ' Birds of Europe ') by Professor Vandennest, of Antwerp ; but they were so very inaccurate 

 that Dr. Bree was misled by them into the error of treating this bird as being distinct from 

 Aquila rapax; and he consequently gave it the name of Aquila culleni. In September 1876 

 Mr. Gurney visited Antwerp ; and having carefully examined this bird, he assures me that it is 

 nothing but Aquila rapax. In order to have an accurate drawing of it, I sent Mr. Keulemans 

 over to Antwerp, to make paintings of it, from which he has drawn the Plate herewith given. 



