THE SPOTTED EAGLE. 
187 
of tawny^ brown and grey ; upper tail- coverts white ; under wing-coverts 
centred with pale fulvous; the whole lower plumage, from the breast 
downwards, fulvous-brown with dark brown edges ; chin, throat and breast 
uniform dark hair-brown; under tail-coverts white; thighs mixed pale 
fulvous and dark purplish brown ; tarsi nearly uniform brown, becoming 
fulvous or whitish near the toes. 
Iris, gape and cere pale yellow ; middle part of the bill plumbeous, the 
tip dark brown ; eyelids and orbital skin pale pinkish flesh-colour ; toes 
pale yellow ; claws black. 
Length 26 inches, tail 10, wing 19-5, tarsus 4, bill from gape 2*3. These 
are the average dimensions of three young males. The female is con- 
siderably larger, the wing being 21 '5 and the tail 11*5. 
I have described above the only three Spotted Eagles I ever procured 
in Burmah. Those birds which visit the Province will probably always be 
found to be immature, and consequently in a plumage somewhat similar 
to those above described*. 
The very young bird is characterized by having buff streaks on the head 
and neck ; otherwise they are in much the same plumage as above 
described. The general colour of the old bird, according to Mr. Sharpe, 
is pale brown, and there are no traces of spots on the wing-coverts and 
scapulars ; but according to Mr. Anderson and Mr. Dresser, the adult 
plumage is a uniform dark brown, with some white feathers on the tarsi. 
These white feathers appear to be a characteristic feature of this Eagle at 
all ages. 
The Spotted Eagle visits Burmah during the winter months in small 
numbers. I procured three birds at the junction of the Canal with the 
Pegu river, and Capt. Eeilden procured it at Thayetmyo. Mr. Blyth 
records it from Arrakan, and Colonel Tickell states that he got it in 
Tenasserim. 
This Eagle has a very wide range, being found over a considerable 
portion of Asia, Europe and Africa. 
It frequents by preference well-watered and swampy localities, and it 
appears to feed largely on frogs. The nest is placed on a tree, and the 
eggs, two or three in number, are white blotched with red. 
This Eagle and the next may be separated from the others by their 
rounded nostrils. 
* I have paid no great attention to the Eagles ; for they are very scarce in Burmah, 
and there is consequently no opportunity of collecting a series. 
