AQUILINE. 



n 



length, piled to the height of four or five feet, and from two to three feet in breadth ; these are intermixed with straw, 

 sea-weed, and pieces of wet turf, in large quantities, and lined with dry sea-grass. These materials are so well put 

 together, as often to adhere in large fragments, after being blown down by the wind." The female lays commonly three 

 eggs, sometimes only two, and rarely exceeds four in number. 



1. P. HaMaUus (Linn.) Cuv. PI. enl. 414.— Pandion fluviatilis 

 Sav. ; Falco arundinaceus Gmel. Gould, B. of Europ. pi. 12.; F. 

 carolinensis Gmel., Catesby's Carol, pi. 2. ; F. Haliaetus Wits. Amer. 

 Orn. pi. 37- f- 1- ; F. cayanensis Gmel.; Aquila piscatrix Vieill. ; 

 Pandion americanus Vieill. Gal. des Ois. t. 11. 



2. P. leucocephalus Gould, Syn. B. of Austr. pi. (head), Proc. Z. 

 S. 1837. 138., B.of Austr. pi. 



3. P. humiiis Mull. Verb, over de Natur. Gesch. der. Nederl. No. 

 5. t. 6. — 



Haliaetus Sav.* 



Bill large, culmen straight at the base, and curved to the tip, which is hooked and acute, the sides 

 compressed, the lateral margins slightly festooned, and the lores naked ; the nostrils moderate, linear, 

 and oblique. Wings lengthened and acute, with the third, fourth, and fifth quills nearly equal and 

 longest. Tail moderate and rounded. Tarsi short, strong, covered in front with transverse narrow 

 scales, and with small irregular ones posteriorly and on the sides. Toes long, mostly covered above 

 with transverse scales ; the claws long, curved, and acute. 



These large and powerful birds inhabit both the Old and New Worlds, and are usually found in the mountainous 

 districts near the sea, or on the precipices that border the inland lakes. Fishes form their principal food, which they 

 pounce upon while swimming near the surface. They also prey on deer and aquatic birds, and even freely feed on 

 carrion. When seeking their prey, they are usually seen sailing high and majestically in the air. The female generally 

 places the nest in a projection of an inaccessible cliff, or on the top of a lofty tree. It is usually built of large sticks, 

 some of them several feet in length, within which are laid sods of earth, sedge, grass, dry weeds, &c, piled sometimes 

 to the height of five or six feet 5 by more than four in breadth. The eggs are mostly two in number. 



1. H. albicilla (Linn.) Pall. PL enl. 112. 415. — Falco albi- 

 caudus, F. ossifragus, et F. melanaetos Gmel. ; Haliaetus nisus 

 Sav. Kittl. Kupf. der Vog. t. 2. f. 2., Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 10. 



2. H.pektgicus (Pall.) Kittl. Kupf. der Vog. t. 2. f. 1. — Falco 

 leucopterus Temm. PI. col. 489. ; the Type of Thalassoaetus Kaup 

 (1844) 



3. H. leucocephalus (Linn.) Sav. PL enl. 411. — Falco pygargus 

 Baud. Wils. Amer. Orn. pi. 36. ; F. ossifragus Wils. Amer. Orn. 

 pi. 55. f. 2. ; Aquila albicilla Pall. 



4. H. Washington! (Aud.) Pr. Bonap., Audub. B. of Amer. pi. 11. 



5. H. vocifer (Daud.) Cuv. Le Vaill. Ois. d'Afr. t. 4. 



6. H. Macei (Temm.) Cuv. PL col. 8. 223. — Haliaetus fulvi- 

 venter Vieill. ; Haliaetus albicilla Vigors Sf Horsf. ; H. (Cuncuma) 

 albipes Hodgs. ; H. lineatus et H. unicolor Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. t. 

 18, 19-? 



7. H. milvoides (Spix), Spix, Av. Bras. t. 1. d. 



8. H. maritimus (Wurm.). 



9. H. sinensis (Gmel.) Lath. Syn. 1. pi. 3. 



10. H. dimidiatus (Raffl.) Vigors & Horsf. Linn. Trans, xiii. 

 277. 



PONTOAETUS Kaup f 



The characters of Haliaetus, except that the Tarsi are covered in front with narrow transverse scales, 

 posteriorly with large irregularly placed scales, and on the hiner side with small ones. Toes almost 

 entirely covered above with transverse scales. 



* Savigny also established this genus in 1809 {Description del'Egypt, Zool. p. 85.). Cuncuma of Mr. Hodgson (18 ) and Thalassoaetus 

 of M. Kaup (1844) are coequal. 



t This division was originally established under the name of Ichthyaetus by the Baron de Lafresnaye in 1839, but that word having 

 been previously used in 1829, I have adopted the term of M. Kaup, who published it in 1844. It includes GeranoaSt'us of M. Kaup 

 (1844). 



