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Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
by larger ones, very different from the small scales of the typical Astur. 
Although Gurney stated that “ A ccipiter” (Astur auct.) melanoleucus is 
aberrant, he did not state fully in what respect, nor apply a generic name; 
I therefore now separate Astur melanoleucus A. Smith under the new generic 
name of Neonisus, characterised by having the tarsi and toes longer and 
weaker than in Astur, the lateral tarsal scales small, in three irregular rows. 
A. polyzonoides A. Sm. should be referred to the genus Eunisus Bonaparte 
(cf. Richmond, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. liii. 590, 1917), characterised, in 
addition to the scaling of the tarsus, as already mentioned, by its small size, 
and, when compared with Scelospiza francesii of Madagascar, by the short- 
ness of its tail, the fourth primary longest and the fifth primary not 
emarginate on the outer web. Astur tachiro (Daudin) and its allies in Africa 
( should be referred to a new genus bearing the name of Aerospiza, cha- 
racterised by having the first five primaries emarginate on the outer web, 
the fifth primary longest, the outermost primary shorter than the second- 
aries, the tail three-fourths of the length of the wing, and in size larger than 
Eunisus but smaller than Astur. 
Gurney (l.c.) has shown that the South African sparrowhawks should 
be separated into two genera, Accipiter rufiventris A. Smith and A. ovam- 
pensis Gurney remaining in the original genus, but A. minullus being 
removed to Hieraspiza Kaup, type A. virgatus of Asia. The latter genus is 
smaller and has a shorter middle toe than Accipiter. 
The Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax Temminck, appears to me to represent 
the genus Aquila in Africa, smaller size usually characterising species from 
the tropics which have congeneric allies towards the poles. A. verreauxi 
Lesson has been also placed under Aquila during the last generation of 
ornithologists, presumably because of its powerful feet; but, occurring as 
it does in the same localities as A . rapax, if it had a representative in the 
colder regions that species would be proportionately still larger. Its colour 
character is so widely different that, apart from structural differences, 
there should be no hesitation in referring it to a distinct genus, a pro- 
ceeding which was followed by Kaup a great many years ago, the name 
of Pteroaetus having been given by him to the genus. 
Aquila pennatus Gmelin is said to be the type of the genus Hieraaetus 
Kaup, which should be recognised; but A. wahlhergi Sundevall, also 
referred to the genus, should be referred to a new genus which I propose to 
name Micraetus, characterised by having a small crest and in all stages 
of plumage not striped. Another bird, Spizaetus ayresi Gurney (This, 1862, 
p. 149) has until recently been confused either with Nisaetus spilogaster or 
Lophaetus occipitalis (cf. Finch-Davies, This, 1919, p. 167, PL III) ; but it 
is obvious that it cannot be referred to any of the genera of small eagles, 
and I therefore propose to place it in a new genus, Anomalaetus, charac- 
terised by having the colour markings of the wing and tail quills as in 
Lophoaetus, but with a shorter and broader crest, with the short tarsus of 
Micraetus and in the adult plumage broadly marked below with black on 
a white ground, much after the fashion of N. spilogaster) in the immature 
plumage the underparts of the body are plain, as in Micraetus. Nisaetus 
has long legs and no crest. 
Of the eagles commonly placed in Spizaetus, neither of our two species 
can be retained in that genus; in this case I have been anticipated in 
