AVES. 
168 
[The Golden Eagle {F. chrysdetos, Lin.), the Grecian Eagle {A. Heliaca, Savigny ; F. imperialis, Tern.), the 
Spotted Eagle {F. ncevius and maculatus, Gm.), the Social Eagle (A. Bonelli, Bonap.), and the Little Eagle 
Fig-. 75. — White-headed Erne. 
{F. pennatus, Gm.), are the European species, which sue- , 
cessively decrease in size in the order announced ; the 
last-named being smaller than a Common Buzzard.] 
New Holland produces Eagles of similar form to those 
of Europe, the tail excepted, which is cuneiform. Such i 
is the Wedge-tailed Eagle (A.fucosa, Cuv.). , 
[There are many others.] We should remark that the 
transition from the Eagles to the Buzzards is effected by 
insensible gradations, [the typical Buzzards being merely 
small-sized Eagles, with weaker armature] . 
The Ernes {Halmetus, Cuv.) 
Have wings resembling those of the preceding, 
hut the tarsi clothed only on its upper half with 
feathers, the remainder being semi-scutellated. 
[Their beak also is longer and larger.] They 
frequent the shores of rivers and of the sea, and 
subsist in great part upon fish [without disdaining 
carrion, like the true Eagles. 
The Cinereous Erne (F. albicilla, Lin.) of Europe, and 
the American White-headed Erne (F. leucocephalus, Lin. 
fig. 75) are characteristic examples. There are also some 
of small size, as the bird commonly termed the Pondi- 
cherry Kite (F. ponticerianus, Gm.), which the Hindoos I 
consider sacred to Vishnu. The Cunduma of Hodgson 
is merely a large Haliaeetus]. 
The Ospreys (Pandion, Savigny) — 
Have [somewhat] the beak and feet of the Ernes ; but their talons are round underneath, 
other Birds of prey [save in the true Elant] they are grooved 
or channelled ; their tarsi are reticulated, and the second 
[third] quill of their wings is longest. Their sternum (fig. 76) 
differs from that of other Falcons (see fig. 72) in becoming 
narrower towards its posterior margin, where a notch exists 
analogous to the inner emargination of the Gallinazos, but not 
to the foramen observable in the Falcons generally : the intes- 
tine is very slender and of great length (whereas in the Ernes 
it does not differ from that of other Falcons) : the super- 
orbital bone does not project : the feathers even are com- 
pletely destitute of the supplementary plume, (which in the 
Ernes and most other Falcons is considerably developed), and 
are not lengthened over the tibia : the outer toe is reversible, 
and the foot astonishingly rough underneath, to enable them 
to hold their slippery fishy prey, on which they subsist ex- 
clusively. This is by far the most strongly characterized division 
of the Linnsean genus Falco.*} 
The Common Osprey (F. haliceetus, Lin.)— [Evidently a cluster of a 
allied species, very generally distributed. That of New Holland (F. lev^ 
cocephalus, Gould) has the crown white. In some places this bird 
nidificates in large societies. 
As a group, externally intermediate to the Ernes and Ospreys, 
might be separated the F. ichthyaetus, Horsf., and several allied 
species from Australasia. They are essentially Osprey-like Ernes, 
which most probably retain the anatomy of the latter, and ex- 
hibit greater developement of the mandibular tooth than either.] 
• The genus Herpethotheres alone is nearly allied. 
while in 
