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Genus NISAETUS. 



Aquila apud Vieillot, Mem. Linn. Soc. Paris, p. 152 (1822). 



Falco apud Temminck, PI. Col. i. pi. 288 (1824). 



Nisaetus, Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. v. p. 227 (1836). 



Spizaetus apud Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xii. p. 301 (1843). 



Eutolmaetus apud Blyth, op. cit. xiv. p. 174 (1845). 



Tolmaetus apud Blyth, op. cit. xv. p. 5 (1846). 



Pseudaetus apud Bonaparte, Cat. Parzud. p. 1 (1856). 



Aquilastur apud L. Brehm, Allg. deutsch. natur. Zeit. ii. p. 53 (1856). 



This genus, in which are only three species, is represented in the Palsearctic, Ethiopian, Oriental, 

 and • Australian Regions, only one species being found in the Western Palsearctic Region. 

 Mr. Sharpe (Cat. Accipitr. Brit. Mus.) refers Aquila pennata to this genus ; but it appears to me 

 that it is more correct to group this species with the true Eagles. The birds belonging to the 

 genus Nisaetus differ in general appearance not a little from the true Eagles, and somewhat 

 resemble the larger Hawks ; hence the Germans call the type of the genus [Nisaetus fasciatus) 

 Habichts-Adler, or Hawk-Eagle. They appear therefore to form a very fair connecting link 

 between the true Eagles and the genus Astur. 



In general habits they are far more noble than the true Eagles; for they never touch 

 carrion, but pursue and capture their prey like the Hawks and Falcons. They are strong and 

 swift on the wing, and feed on birds of various kinds, being very partial to waterfowl, which 

 they pursue and strike on the wing. Some naturalists say that they will occasionally feed on 

 fish ; but this appears to be doubtful. They nest in cliffs, and construct their nests of sticks and 

 twigs, lining them with green leaves, and deposit two tolerably large roundish eggs, which are 

 bluish white or pure white slightly marked with rufous. 



Nisaetus fasciatus, the type of the genus, has the bill high, strong, stout, decurved from the 

 base ; nostrils oval, placed in the anterior portion of the cere ; wings rather long, but not nearly 

 extending to the tip of the tail, first quill shorter than the seventh, the second about equal to 

 the fifth, the fourth longest ; tail long, even ; legs very long, the tarsus feathered to the toes, 

 which are large and stout; claws very large, strong, curved. 



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