128 Description of a new genus of FalconidcB. [No. 134. 



often met with in Coorg."— And in the privately circulated Supplement to this cata- 

 logue, Mr. Jerdon describes the female, and mentions having examined three speci- 

 mens of this "curious Eagle," which he there classes as Nisaetus ovivorus, but with a 

 double mark of doubt as to the genus ; and he has since transmitted specimens of both 

 sexe#to the Society's Museum by the title of Ictinaetus ovivorus, but subsequently to 

 the arrival of the foregoing paper by Mr. Hodgson, with whose former description of 

 the species Mr. Jerdon's specimens accord in every particular. Moreover, with refer- 

 ence to the specific name bestowed by Mr.. Jerdon, Mr. Hodgson had already stated 

 that — "This is a shy bird, which adheres exclusively to the wild and mountainous 

 tracts of the hills. Its body is entirely free from offensive odour and vermin, and its 

 prey chiefly the Pheasants of the region it frequents, as well as their eggs." 



Mr. Jerdon, on the other hand, did not fail to notice the peculiar structure of the 

 feet, and I quote the following from his very interesting description : " This remark- 

 able Eagle 1 have placed for the present, though with doubt, under the genus 

 Nisaetus. It differs from it in superior length of wing and tail — its shorter tarsus, 

 s horter toes, and more especially in their comparative size—~the outer toe and claw 

 being remarkably small, and the inner claw of very great size. The extreme short- 

 ness of the outer toe is, as far as I can recollect, peculiar to it among the diurnal 

 Raptores of this country, though common among the Owls. Its habits, too, are, so 

 far as I know, peculiar, and differ from those of the other Indian Eagles. * * * It 

 hunts about the edges of the hills more generally than on the higher parts of the 

 table-land, and most frequently over bushy ground, though I have also seen it over 

 forest, both on the top of the hills and half way down the Coonoor ghaut. It sails 

 slowly along with very little motion of the wings, usually very close to the ground, 

 hunting tolerably regularly, not unlike the Harriers, and like them hardly ever 

 alights except for the purpose of feeding. 



" In the three specimens I have examined, I found that eggs and nestlings had 

 formed its only food. Among these I recognized the eggs of the Hill Quail CCoturnix 

 erythrorhyncha) , of the Malacocercus Somervillei, and of some Doves ( Turtur tigrina 

 and T. Cambayensis), beside others I did not know, and several nestlings. I have 

 seen it, since I procured my specimens, alight for a few seconds on a large bush 

 over which it had been circling for some time, and apparently devour something. I 

 found in this bush a Dove's nest empty, which had evidently been robbed. This 

 Eagle thus appears to be habitually a robber of bird's nests ; and as Doves, as well as 

 some other birds, breed throughout the whole yeai-, it can probably sustain itself 

 mostly on its favorite food, though it doubtless occasionally destroys young, feeble, or 

 sickly birds, and perhaps reptiles." 



The Limnaetus unicolor is likewise a plunderer of nests, though I cannot say of the 

 eggs contained in them. A fine specimen, presented by Mr. Frith to the Society, 

 and shot in Mymunseng, first attracted that gentleman's attention by the alarm which 

 was manifested upon its approach to a large banyan tree, upon which were several of 

 the deep and massive nests of the Sturnus contra, one of which it immediately pro- 

 ceeded to pull to pieces, to rob of its contents, in which operation it was shot. It is not, 

 therefore, improbable that the same habit will prove to be more or less prevalent 

 among various true Eagles, Spizaeti (Nisaetus, Hodgson), and Buzzards. The 

 specimen adverted to agrees perfectly with the description of Spiza'etus hastatus, 

 Lesson, in the 'Zoologie du voyage de M. Belanger,' and I believe it also to be the 

 Falco limnaetus, Horsfield, v. F. unicolor, Temminck, constituting the Limnaetus 

 unicolor, Vigors. Cur. As. Soc.]— E. B. 



