1843.] Catalogue of Nepal ese Birds. 303 



wing is also similar, or nearly so, having at most a dark patch on the 

 under-coverts of the primaries : above, the general cast of colour is 

 merely paler than in the adult, the deeper hue of the latter being 

 confined to near the tip of each feather and along the shaft, whereas 

 in adults it spreads nearly to the edge : and the tail appears more 

 closely barred, with blackish or deep brown upon a pale ground- 

 hue. 



The Crestless Eagle- hawk (as this species may be appropriately 

 termed) appears to be generally, though sparingly, diffused over the 

 wooded districts of the mountainous parts of India, while on the Hima- 

 laya it would seem to be not unfrequent. It hunts more on the wing 

 than its congeners, in conformity with its structural approximation 

 to the true Eagles. Mr. Jerdon observes, that it is certainly a rare 

 bird in Southern India ; and Mr. Elliot, that it " is the noblest of the 

 Indian Eagles, being seldom seen, and then generally at a great height 

 in the air, in wild and savage places. It preys on the Hare — I 

 once saw a pair of them hunting in company, which nearly surprised a 

 Peacock, pouncing on him on the ground." This gentleman re- 

 marked its distinctness from the Falco niveus of Temminck, to which 

 Mr. Jerdon dubiously referred it. The latter does not hitherto appear 

 to have been met with in Southern India, though tolerably common 

 in Bengal, and also in Nepal. 



2. \Hcematornis undulatus, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 170; Gould's 

 Century, pi. L] Circaetus Nipalensis, Hodgson [_As. Res. XVIII, pt. 

 II, p. 17 (published 1833)], this bird being clearly a Circaetus. [Falco 

 bido (?)> Horsfield, Lin. Trans. XIII, 137 (1821 !) : Buteobacha (?), 

 apud Franklin, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 114; and Hcematornis bacha (?), 

 Sykes, Ibid. 1832, p. 79. When this species was characterized by 

 Mr. Vigors, " the three species of the group ( Hamiatornis, Vigors,) 

 were exhibited ; their general similarity in colour and markings pointed 

 out; and their specific differences explained. These consist chiefly 

 in size; the H. holospilus" (P. Z. S. 1831, p. 96, from Manilla,) 

 " being one third smaller than" (the African) " H. bacha ; while 

 H. undulatus considerably exceeds the latter. The first is spotted all 

 over the body, the second only on the abdomen ; while the third is 

 marked by spots on the wing-coverts, and by ocelli bearing an undu- 

 lated appearance on the abdomen, the breast also being crossed by 



