1339] 



of the Peninsula of India. 



69 



Genus NISAETUS, Hodgson.— Hawk-eagle. 



12.— TV. niveus?—F. niveus, Temm. P. C.--127 ?— #7ute tetfiW 

 Hawk Eagle. — Mhorungah or Mhorungee, H. 



I presume, from the meagre descriptions I possess, that my specimen 

 is identical with the Javanese bird, named as above by M. Temminck. 

 It appears to belong to the new genus, which Mr. Hodgson has, I think, 

 most justly separated and named very happily.* This species is not 

 'crested, but otherwise agrees exactly with the characters given, which 

 are (among others) short high bill, short wings, rather long but nervous 

 tarsus and immense feet and claws. M. Lesson, I see, has ranged this 

 bird as a Spizaetus; which however is remarkable for its small feet. 



The Mhorungah is certainly a rare bird in Southern India. 1 have 

 only seen it twice, once in the Baramahl, seated on the edge of a tank in 

 the neighbourhood of a jungly district, and again a pair seated on a lofty 

 tree, in a tope in open country in the northern part of the Deccan. I 

 know nothing of its habits or food from personal observation. Mr. 

 Hodgson says the habits of the genus are as follows : " Preys on jungle 

 fowl, partridges, hares — watches from a lofty perch, usually pouncing 

 on its game when near it — sometimes pursues with energy on the wing.'' 

 Mr. Elliot met it occasionally in the Southern Mahratta country, and 

 from his notes I extract the following observations: " 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." I suppose it is more an in- 

 habitant of jungly and wooded districts than of the open plain, as are 

 the true Eagles. I add here, a brief description of my specimen :— Above, 

 hair brown, most of the feathers edged with a lighter tint, and .some 

 white about the head and sides of neck. Below, pure white, feathers nar- 

 rowly streaked in the centre with dark brown— feathers of leg and tar- 

 sus, thickly barred with pale fawn brown. Bill of a greenish horn colour. 

 Cere and legs greenish yellow. Irides bright yellow. Length 27 inches 

 — wings 19 — tail 10§ — 2| inches beyond wing— tarsus 3^— middle toe 

 of an inch. Eyebrows prominent. 



Genus CIRCAETUS.— Vieill. 

 Harrier-eagle — Serpent-eagle. 

 * Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal No. 65. 



