1845.] or little known species of Birds. 175 



much longer and narrower, instead of broad and rounded, a differ- 

 ence which is strongly marked on the lower interscapularies. Size 

 the same. The splendid occipital crest is deep black, each feather 

 tipped with white : upper parts empurpled hair-brown, the inter- 

 scapularies, scapularies and tertiaries, more or less black, and the 

 secondaries having distant dark bands ; fore-neck and breast 

 pure white, with a broad dark mesial streak to each feather ; the 

 belly, vent, flanks, and lower tail-coverts, dark brown ; and thighs 

 the same, a little freckled with whitish : tarsal feathers whitish, 

 mottled with brown : head and neck fulvescent-brown, with mesial 

 dark streaks ; the usual three dark lines on the throat somewhat 

 ill defined : tail as in N. caligatus, but less dashed with ashy. 



This species seems to be peculiar to the hill districts of India, inha- 

 biting alike the sub- Himalayan region, and the hilly parts of Central 

 and Southern India. Mr. Elliot describes it to " sit on the tops of the 

 highest trees, on the watch for hares, pea-fowl, and jungle-fowl, on which 

 it swoops from its elevated perch. Solitary. Shot in the Rampoor 

 jungle, inland from Nellore, at the foot of the Eastern Ghats." Mr. 

 Jerdon and Lord Arthur Hay have since procured specimens from the 

 same locality. The crest- feathers of this bird are not only longer and 

 more copious than in either of the other species, but are of a more lax 

 texture, so that when elevated they curve and droop backward, instead 

 of remaining up straight. N. caligatus alone has invariably but a mere 

 indication of this occipital crest, which is well developed in all the rest. 

 The other Indian species of Nisaetus are N.pulcher, J. A. S. xii, 305 ; 

 and N. Kienerii, (de Sparre), v. Spizaetus albogularis, J. A. S. xi, 456.* 

 The following description was taken from what I conceive to have 

 been an adult male of the former, in fully mature plumage. Length of 

 wing seventeen inches and a half, and of tail thirteen inches. Old 

 crest-feather measuring four inches and three-quarters, and new ones 

 growing, which would apparently have been considerably longer. 

 Plumage very Hawk-like : upper parts hair-brown, the exposed ter- 

 minal portion of the feathers darker and purple- glossed ; wing-coverts 

 banded with white ; throat with the usual three strice, and the under 

 parts light brown, transversely rayed with white, the colour darkening 

 towards the white, and upon the tibial plumes. Received from Cherra- 

 * The latter has since been received from Darjeeling. 



