218 
Mr. J. H. Gurney's Notes on 
For the last five years a very interesting Chinese specimen 
of the Imperial Eagle has been living in the Gardens of the 
Zoological Society of London, to which Dr. Bree refers at 
pp. 73 and 99 of his work, and respecting which I at different 
times made the following memoranda :—- 
“ 15th July, 1871. A young Imperial Eagle from Foochoo, 
China, has lately been purchased by the Zoological Society, 
for whom a drawing has been made of it; it is in striated 
plumage, just similar to a striated specimen lately sent over 
by Dr. Cullen from Kustendji, and has the irides very pale 
yellowish grey.” 
“22nd June, 1872. It appears darker in plumage than at 
first, but is not otherwise changed.” 
“ 22nd November, 1872. It is now in good plumage; stri- 
ations very marked; irides now pale clear yellow.” 
I did not preserve any memoranda respecting my own ob¬ 
servations of this Eagle during the two following years ; but 
on the 26th June, 1874, I received the following account 
of it from Mr. Howard Saunders :— te It is only now show¬ 
ing black feathers and getting the barred tail, with one 
white feather on the left scapular.” On the 23rd February, 
1875, I made the following memorandum after again visiting 
it:—“ Still chiefly in striated plumage; but the white scapu¬ 
lars are becoming conspicuous; it now resembles the figure 
of a striated young bird beginning to change and showing 
white scapulars, given in drawing No. 8 of Col. TickelPs 
MS. Indian Ornithology, in the library of the Zoological So¬ 
ciety.” And on the 14th August, 1876,1 made the following 
note :—■“ The Foochoo Eagle may be said to have attained 
adult plumage on the scapulars, which largely show the white, 
and also on the tail; but it retains immature dress on the 
head, neck, rump, and wing-coverts; the iris is light, clear 
pale yellow.” 
Passing on to the consideration of Aquila adalberti , the 
white-shouldered Eagle of Spain, I may mention that I en- 
similar one, recorded by the same gentlemen, the phenomenon was due 
to the effect of confinement; but these instances are nevertheless ex¬ 
tremely curious. 
