Birds of Celebes; Falconidae. 
43 
GENUS POLIOAETUS Kaup. 
In structure this form is very like Haliaetus, though smaller, but it may 
be distinguished by its claws, which are rounded below, and by its shorter, 
more rounded wings, w^hich when closed fall considerably short of the tip of 
the tail (Legge), and in which the 4*’* and b*** quills, instead of the 3'''^, are the 
longest; the tibial plumes are short, not overreaching the upper third of the 
tarsus. There are two species, inhabiting the Indian Region from the Himalayas 
to Celebes; they prey chiefly upon fresh-water fish, and lay 3 eggs. 
16. POLIOAETUS HUMILIS (Miill. Schl.). 
Lesser Fishing-eagle. 
Of this s^jecies there are two pronounced races, which are said to blend 
in Cachar. 
1. The typical Polioaetus humilis (Miill. Schl.) 
a. Falco humilis fl] M. et S., Verb. Nat. Gescli. Natuui-k. Comm., Aves, 1839 — 44, 47, pi. 6. 
h. Ichthyaetus nanus Blytli, J. A. S. B. 1842, XI, 202; 1843, XII, 304 (Singapore). 
c. Fandion humilis Kaup, Classif. Siiug. u. Vog. 1844, 122; (I) Schl., Valkvogels 1866, 13, 
53, pi. 5 f. 3. 
d. Polioaetus humilis Kaup, Contr. Oni. 1850, 73; (1) Wall., Ibis 1868, 14; (2) Sbarpe, 
Cat. B. 1874, I, 454; (3) Salvad., Fee. Boimeo 1874, 6; (4) Grurney, Ibis 1878, 
455 — 458; (5) Hume, Str. F. 1880, IX, 244; (6) Oates, B. Brit. Burmali 1883, 
n, 223; (7) W. Bias., Ztsebi-. ges. Orn. 1885, 222; (8) Everett, J. Str, Br. R. 
A. S. 1889, 183; (9) Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1895, 476. 
e. Haliaetus humilis Sebl,, Mus. P.-B. Aquilae, 1862, 18. 
f. Pontoaetus humilis (1) Blyth, Ibis 1863, 22. 
g. Polioaetus humilis subsp. Gurney, Diurn. B. of Prey 1884, 60. 
h. Polioaetus plumbeus humilis (1) M. & Wg., Abb. Mus. Dresd. 1896, Nr. 2, p. 7. 
“Kuajan pupusi”, Pebng Id., Nat. Coll. 
For further references see Sbarpe d 2, Salvador! d 3, Oates d 6. 
Figures and descriptions. Muller & Seblegel a /; Seblegel e 7; Sbarpe d 2; Gurney 
d 4; Hume d 5] Oates d d; W. Blasius d 7. 
Diagnosis. Size smaller; bill rnueb smaller; foot and tarsus markedly slenderer, thougb not 
shorter (Hume d 5); tbe dark band across the end of the tail a little more distinct 
(Gurney d 4). 
Adult. Abdomen, thighs and under tail-coverts white; all other parts ashy brown, 
more chocolate colour on the back and wings; throat and cheeks slightly streaked 
with whitish; terminal fourth of tail indistinct dark brown, tip whitish (ad. Peling 
Id., V— VHI, 95: Nat. Coll., C 14497). “Bill and cere dusky lead -colour; feet 
pale bluish white; iris light yellow” (Wallace d 1], 
Young male. Above brown, the feathers margined with fulvous brown, on lower back and 
rump varied with white; tail-feathers brown, white at the base and on the inner 
web, and indistinctly barred with blackish brown, forehead, sides of head, hind 
C* 
