85 
European and Asiatic Eagles. 
by the same name. The tawny colour, both on head and 
whole body, is peculiarly rich and fine; and out of the num¬ 
bers of A. vindhiana I have obtained in & pale tawny stage, 
not one approached this fine species in coloration. It has its 
characteristics, and especially the two-coloured feathers about 
the shoulders and wings, the two colours being fine dark 
purple-brown and fulvous or tawny. I now see there was 
some excuse for Mr. Gurney mistaking a mature A. bifas- 
ciata (A. orientalis, Cab.) for a dark A. ncevioides (vide Ibis, 
1870, pp. 67, 68). This fine Eagle (A. ncevioides) is in many 
respects like A. vindhiana; and as that species is subject to 
light and dark forms, it is probable that the same variation 
exists in A. ncevioides. To separate a large dark A. ncevi- 
oides from an undersized dark and mature A. bifasciata 
would be no easy task; but I think no mistake need be made, 
the characteristics of each being so w r ell defined. 
4. The Indian species hitherto called A. ncevioides agrees 
well with the plate of Aquila fulvescens in Gray and Hard- 
wicke's ‘ Illustrations of Indian Zoology' (i. pi. 29). So well 
is the plate executed, that there is no mistaking the species 
it is intended to represent. Our Indian bird should therefore 
be henceforth known as Aquila fulvescens, Gray; and I am 
glad to have been able to separate it from Aquila ncevioides 
vera, with which it has been confounded. 
Judging from the example sent me, I do not see that Aquila 
ncevioides is a more robust bird or larger on the whole than 
our Wokhal (A. vindhiana). Its wing is 20 inches only, 
and the talons are not more powerful. The Indian bird 
varies excessively in size; and in Mr. Hume's collection there 
are some magnificent examples which it would be hard to 
match with African ones of A. ncevioides. 
We have thus three very distinct Eagles subject to light 
and dark forms :— 
1. A. fulvescens , Gray. Characters—round nostril and 
plain black unbarred tail. 
2. A. vindhiana , Franklin. Characters—vertical long nos¬ 
tril and well-barred grey tail. 
3. A. ncevioides , Cuvier. Characters—vertical long nostril 
