Page:Illustrations of Indian Ornithology.djvu/18

Rh generally fatal. One of these birds shot in the act was presented to me by a gentleman, who had been a great sufferer by them. I have not yet been fortunate enough to meet with the nest of this Hawk-Eagle, but it is said by native Shikarees to build on steep and inaccessible cliffs, and to breed in January or February.

The other known Indian species of this group are:—1st, Nisætus niceus.—2d, N. pulcher, Hodgson.—3rd, N. Kieieriin;—and 4th, N. cristatellus. A fifth species has been merely indicated by Hodgson as N. pallidus. I shall here give a brief description of these four species from copious information afforded me by Mr. Blyth.

1st.— Syn.—Falco niveus, Tem.—F. caligatus, Raffles ?—Nis. Nipalensis, Hodgson.

Young.—Above brown, the feathers with broad pale edgings, usually has a slightly developed occipital crest, sometimes found possessed of a long drooping occipital egret-like crest of two long feathers—beneath white, nearly spotless—tibial plumes white, regularly crossed with pale fulvous bands—under tail-coverts white spotted with brown—tail brown with five dark bands and a subterminal one broader and more distinct,—the tipwhitish—head and nape usally light fulvous with dark mesial stripes, extending by age—quills barred with blackish.

Intermediate age—Above dark aquiline brown, with pale edgings, obsolete on the interscapulars—beneath white with a dark mesial stripe down the throat and 2 lateral ones less defined—breast with brownish black drops on each plume—rest of the plumage beneath nearly all dark brown—tibial feathers and under tail feathers barred with dark brown and white—tail brown with an ashy tinge and banded as in the young bird.

Adult—Plumage entirely dusky black, dashed with ashy on the back—the under surface of the primaries anterior to the emargination and the under surface of the tail alone albescent—caudal bands only visible beneath—cere dark livid—irides light grey brown in young—bright yellow in adult—feet pale wax yellow. Length of a male about 25 inches—expanse of wings 49—wing 15—tail 11—bill at gape 1½—tarsus 3½. Female from 26 to 29½ inches—expanse 54—wing 15¾—tail 11—bill 1⅞—tarsus 4.

This species has a larger known geographical distribution than any other of the genus having been found in Bengal, the Himalayas, and Java.