BIKDS OF EASTERN AKD SOUTHERN ASIA. 



over the plains of India, but is m\\c\i larger, 

 (.quallini; V- iiionachiis in size ; while the latter 

 has also an analagous diminutive in Africa, in 

 the V. occipitalis. 



Neopthron Fercnopterus (' Etryptian Vul- 

 ture) of the Appendix to Hruce's travels 

 Rachmnah ; PluMuoh'fi chickeyis, dx. Inhabits 

 Europe, Asia, and Africa, abounding' in most 

 warm regifins ; very common on the plains 

 of Upper Hindustan, and the table-land of pen- 

 insular India ; but not observed in Lower Ben- 

 gal below the tideway of the Ganaetic rivers : 

 nommon in the southern parts of Europe ; but 

 very rnre and accidental in the British islands, 

 and also in Scandinavia, This bird is evidently 

 the ' Kite' of Major A. Cunningham's ' Ladak' 

 (p. 205). He writes — " the Eayle {rha-nak, or 

 the 'black bird') and the kite {cka-kor, or the 

 white bird) are Common eiiout;h, and so is the 

 Jarije raven." A second snecies of this genus, 

 tlie N. pileatus, inhabits Africa only. 



Gypaetos. The Lammergeyer (Gypaetos) in- 

 habits the high mountains of Europe, Asia and 

 Africa ; from the Altai even to the Cape colony. 

 Authorities differ with respect to the value to be 

 attached to certain differences observed in speci- 

 mens from diffei-ent regions. The Prince ol 

 Canino identities the Himalayan with G. bar- 

 batus of Gebler from the Altai, and G. nudipes 

 of Brehm {meridionalis of Keyser and Blasiu?) 

 from S. Africa. M. Malherbe remarks that 

 specimens from the Pyrenees and Sardinia are of 

 inferior size to those from the Swiss Alps ; and 

 this smaller race is the G. barbatus occidentalis 

 of Schlegel. Even the Himalayan is said to 

 differ from that of eastern Europe by having a 

 pictoral dark band not observed in the other, 

 and is the G. hemaehaknus of Captain Hutton. 

 The constancy of the alleged distinctions seems 

 to need contirmation, preparatory to an estima- 

 tion of their value. The Himalayan bird is 

 commonly mis-called ' Golden Eagle' by English 

 residents. 



Aquila chrysaetos (' Golden Eagle.') Inhabits 

 the mountainous regions of Europe, Asia, and 

 N. America (being the only true Aquila in the 

 New World) ; rare in N. Africa : and in India 

 confined to the Himalaya. M. Degland in- 

 clines to the opinion that a larger and smaller 

 race exist, the former iniiabiting a colder re^iiou ; 

 but this much needs confirmation. No diffe- 

 rence can be perceived between British and 

 Himalayan examples. 



Jquila mogilnik or ' Imperial Eagle' of Tera- 

 minck {Aq. keliaca, Savigny) inhabits generally 

 a warmer climate than Aq. chryssetos, and is 

 extensively diffused over the mountainous re- 

 gions of S. E. Europe, Asia, and N. Africa, in- 

 cluding those of India (being the chrysaetos of 

 Dr. Jerdon's Catalogue of Birds of S. India). 



In Europe it has been observed so far north 

 as in Jutland ; but never in the British 

 islands. 



Aquila noevia- (' Spotted Eagle.') Inhabits 

 Europe, Asia, and Africa ; being common in 

 the hilly parts of India, and even in the Bengal 

 Sundarbans. Very rare in N. Europe : but 

 has been shot near the town of Schirswig, and 

 has even been known to breed in Ireland. 



There are two affined species in Indin, Aq. 

 hastata, nearly as large but less robust, and Aq. 

 fulvescens, distinct from Aq. nsevioides of Afrii-a 

 the ' Wokhab' noticed in Cyc. of India, which 

 is smaller and more robust, — a miniature of Aq. 

 mogilnik. Neither of them has been observed 

 in Europe. 



Eutolmuietos fasciutus. (Falco Bonellii, deVa. 

 Marmora.) Inhabits the southern parts of 

 Europe, with Asia, and N. Africa ; being re- 

 placed in S. Africa by Eu. bellicosus : in India 

 and Ceylon confined to the hilly parts, where far 

 from rare. 



Hieraettis pennatxis. Inhabits E. Europe, 

 Asia, Africa, India generally, and Ceylon : dif- 

 fering very little (if at all) fi om H. morphnoides 

 of Australia : a rare species in Europe. Prof. 

 Schlegel doubts the proper habitat of this 

 bird : it is not uncommon in India, preying 

 much on domestic pigeons. 



Fandion halicetus . (' Osprey.') Of universal 

 distribution ; the Australian only differing but 

 slightly. Common in India ; and migratory in 

 the far north. 



Falco candicans. {Falco gyrfaJxo ; ' Gyr 

 Falcon.'' An Arctic species, very rare in tem- 

 perate regions : the Shangar of Indian falconry 

 seems to denote it, as a bird of excessively rare 

 occurrence in the Punjab. Some writers sepa- 

 rate from it ah Icelandic race, either as a dis- 

 tinct species or variety, respecting which there 

 is much difference of opinion. 



Falco sacer. Schlegel (F. lamrius apud 

 Temminck and Gould), a very rare species 

 in East Europe, seems to belong properly to 

 Middle Asia, and occurs rarely in the Hima- 

 laya. 



Falco layiorbis. Schlegel, an inhabitant of the 

 South East of Europe, differs very slightly from 

 the Indian F. juggur. Gray, 



Falco peregrinits. (' Peregrine Falcon.') In- 

 habits Europe, Asia, North Africa, if not also 

 North and South America : the South African 

 race smaller ; and Australian F. macropua 

 [melanogenys of Gould) very nearly affined. 

 Common in India ; also a nearly affined species, 

 F. peregrinator, which resorts more to the 

 hills, and is the F. ruber indicus of Aldrovand, 

 Although the Indian and also the north 

 American races are considered different from 

 the European by some, is doubted, the exist- 



10 



