Mr. R. B. Sharpe’s Catalogue of Accipitres. 221 
birds had been in my possession, and no moult, beyond the 
isolated droppings of occasional feathers, having occurred 
subsequently. 
On 13th July, 1875, I noted :—the female now shows a 
very considerable quantity of white, both about the carpal joint 
and on the ridge of the wing near the shoulder; and the male 
shows the white at the same points, but less conspicuously.” 
On 23rd September, 1875, “ the white on the wings of the 
female has slightly increased since 13th July, and on those 
of the male considerably so; but the female is still by much 
the more advanced of the two in this respect.” 
During the succeeding eight months little, if any, altera¬ 
tion occurred in the plumage of either of the Eagles; but 
during the next six months, ending about 30th November 
1876, the male bird gradually became as much advanced in 
his change as the female; and both birds had, by that date, 
assumed the full adult dress, with the exception of isolated 
feathers belonging to the immature plumage, which remained 
here and there scattered over the mantle and thighs, and to 
a less extent on the breast and abdomen. Since then ten 
weeks have elapsed; but no further change is observable, ex¬ 
cept that the female has now almost entirely lost the old fea¬ 
thers of the immature plumage from the breast and abdomen. 
It will be seen by the above notes that the female of this 
pair of Eagles has constantly made a more rapid advance 
towards the adult plumage than the male, which I have been 
disposed to attribute to the fact of his being literally a hen¬ 
pecked husband, and probably not always, in consequence of 
this, obtaining his full share of food ; I have, however, read, 
but where I cannot now recollect, that in the case of the 
Eastern Imperial Eagle the female has been observed, when 
in a state of nature, to assume the adult dress more rapidly 
than the male. 
I have now to refer to the Steppe-Eagle, respecting which 
it will be the less necessary for me to add much to Mr. 
Sharpens account, as the natural history of this Eagle has of 
late years been ably and exhaustively elucidated by Messrs. 
