8 Notices and Descriptions of various New [No. 169. 



particularly large, and the outer singularly small. Peculiar to mountain 

 regions. This bird conducts in some respects to Archibuteo. 



These several Eagles exhibit variation of habit, as of form. The 

 Ictinaetus is pre-eminently a nest-robber, and feeds much on eggs : vide 

 J. A. S. XII, 128 ; where also is a notice of the nest- plundering pro- 

 pensities of Aq. hastata, under the supposition of the latter species being 

 Limna'etus unicolor. The more powerful of the tribe do not disdain to 

 feed on carrion ; and Mr. Elliot remarks, of Aq. fulvescens, — " The 

 Wokhab is very troublesome in hawking after the sun becomes hot, 

 mistaking the jesses for some kind of prey, and pouncing on the Falcon 

 to seize it. I have once or twice nearly lost Shaheens" (F. peregrinator,) 

 he adds, " in consequence, these flying to great distances for fear of the 

 Wokhab." This is probably, therefore, the Jimach mentioned by Bu- 

 chanan Hamilton, (in Montgomery Martin's compilation from his MSS. 

 I, 505). " The only pursuit worth notice which I saw in several days' 

 hawking," observes the author, " was from a large bird of prey named 

 Jimach, which attacked a very strong Falcon as it was hovering over 

 a bush into which it had driven a Partridge. The moment the Falcon 

 espied the Jimach it gave a scream, and flew off with the utmost 

 velocity, while the Jimach eagerly pursued. They were instantly 

 followed by the whole party, foot, horses, and elephants, perhaps 200 

 persons, shouting and firing with all their might, and the Falcon was 

 saved, but not without severe wounds, the Jimach having struck her to 

 the ground. I have never been able," adds Buchanan, " to procure a 

 Jimach ; but it appears to be a small Eagle, and is said to live entirely 

 on other birds of prey." Aq. fulvescens, however, is a very indiscriminate 

 feeder, preying on rats, lizards, snakes, insects, and sometimes even 

 carrion ; besides hares, and in fact whatever, living or dead, it happens 

 to meet with : still the fact of its attacking Falcons, or indeed of any 

 bird of prey attacking another, except for combat, or as when a tame 

 Falcon is flown at a Kite, (of Hawks thus " picking out Hawks' een,") 

 is, I apprehend, little known to the majority of naturalists. Lastly, 

 Hiera'ttus pennatus is a noted robber of the dove-cot and poultry-yard ; 

 whose depredations, as Mr. Jerdon remarks, are probably often mistaken 

 for those of the Kite. 



Ephialtes spilocephalus, nobis, n. s. ? Noctua auribarbis (?), Hodgson, 

 mentioned in J. A. S. VI, 369 : Athene badia, (?), Hodgson, enumerated 

 in Mr. G. R. Gray's list of the Raptorial birds in the British Museum. 



