300 FALCONID^ EUTOLMAETUS 



Aquila bonellii, {nee Less.), Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 11 (1867). 



Aquila fasciata (nee Vieill.), Ourney, Ibis, 1868, p. 138. 



Pseudaetus spilogaster, Ourney, in Andersson's B. Damaraland, p. 7 

 (1872). 



Nisaetus spilogaster, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. i, p. 252 (1874) ; id. ed. Layard's 

 B. 8. Afr. pp. 38, 797 (1875-84) ; Gurney, Ibis, 1877, p. 421 ; Ayres, 

 Ibis, 1884, p. 219 [Rustenburg] ; Bryden, Gun amd Camera, p. 65 

 (1898) [near Mafeking] ; 8helley, B. Afr. i, p. 149 (1896) ; Marshall, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 262 [Mashonaland] . 



Hieraetus spilogaster, Beichenow, Vog. Afr. i, 679 (1901). 



Description. Adult female. — Above, brownish-black, the head 

 streaked with white, and sometimes slightly crested ; back, scapulars 

 and wing-coverts conspicuously varied with large spots of white; 

 primaries ashy on the outer web very dark brown at the tips, the 

 secondaries mottled with brown or ashy with dark brown tips, 

 upper tail-coverts banded and tipped with white ; tail ashy grey 

 with a dark brown tip and remains of darker bars, cheeks and under 

 surface of the body pure white with black streaks on the cheeks and 

 breast and irregular large spots on the under tail-coverts ; under 

 wing-coverts black, some of the feathers margined with white. 



Iris bright yellow; bill bluish-black at tip, base of the lower 

 mandible yellow ; cere bright yellow ; feet yellow ; claws black. 



Length 26-5; wing 18'3 ; tail 11"4; culmen 1-9 ; tarsus 3-9. 



The adult male is very similar to the female but the white spots 

 on the upper surface are less distinct, and the streaks on the lower 

 surface more distinct. Wingl7'25; tail 10'75 ; tarsus 3* 70. 



A young bird is brown above, the feathers on the head and nape 

 edged with rufous and with concealed white bases; there is very 

 little white on the scapulars and wings except at the tips and on 

 the inner webs of the secondaries ; under parts including the cheeks 

 and sides of the neck tawny rufous, darkest on the breast ; chin, 

 sides of the neck and breast with conspicuous dark brown shaft 

 stripes ; lower under wing-coverts dark brown, others tawny ; wing 

 and tail feathers white below with traces of bars. 



Iris light yellow ; bill ashy-black at the tip ; cere and feet 

 greenish-yellow. 



Distribution. — This Eagle was first obtained in north-east Africa 

 where it is found in Somaliland, Abyssinia, and along the Blue Nile 

 as far north as Khartoum. It has also occurred in German east 

 Africa, Nyasaland, and southern Angola. In South Africa though 

 widely spread it is apparently rare as it has only been obtained on 

 very few occasions, as follows : Cape Colony — Cape div. (Layard), 



