Page:Stray feathers. Journal of ornithology for India and its dependencies (IA strayfeathersjou11873hume).pdf/350

926 Notes upon some of the Tudun and Furopean Eagles. feathers in the scapular region of this specimen; and he con- cludes that the presence of these two little parti-colored feathers demonstrates that the bird is Aq. nevioides. Iu answer to this I may observe, that I found a specimon of Ag. vindhiana with parti-colored small scapulars. I have also seen a specimen of 19. mogilnik with parti-colored scapulars. Mr. Anderson too speaks of one (P. Z. S., 1872, p. 621). The other day I exam- ined an exainple of Cancuma leucogaster with some of the sca- pular feathers having one side of the feather fulvous, and the other brown. I believe occasional parti-colored leathers are to be found in most eagles, although to a greater extent in Ag. navioides, which I believe retains them permanently in its most advanced stage of plumage. Al all events the Bosphorus 4. vifasciuta is structurally opposed to Ay, narioides, and its nos- tril, thongh a dried me, is most perfect ; having never hat auy thread or string passed through it to keep the bill closed.

Mr. Gurney suggests in Epist.) that the process of desicca- may have distorted the nostril ; so that though originally a round one, it may now be lengthened : but this supposition is quite out of the question. This climate, of all others, will thoroughly desiccate the whole bird, especially the hot winds of the North-Western Provinces to which all my birds have been exposed ; and after examining my numerons specimens of eagles, I find no material alteration ; certainly notliing to the extent suggested by Mr. Gurncy; and it is still easy in every case, by looking at the nostril alone, supposing the body of the bird to be covered to tell to wliat class of eagle it belongs. By no process of desiccation whatever, could the rather small round pos- tril of 44. uavioides become the large long vertical one of Aguila bifusciata. The size of the nostril in the two birds is so differ- enti. I bare not before observed that Aq. bifasciata, as a rule, is Imperiul Eagle size, which Aq. sovioides is not; and once vuore I maintain that the tail of the latter is a plain black onc, very rarely barred, and theu with the faintest possible barring square to the shaft of ihe feather, and not extending more than half way to the edge of the feather, if so much.

Mr. Gurney informs me that if his memory does not deceive him, he has seen specinons of Aq. næviides with tails as strongly barred as that of the Bosphorus .. bifasciata in ques. tion. All I can say to this is, that the birds with grey well barred tails were not sq. uavioides, but some olher species, pro- bably A. bifuscialo. I have again strongly drawn attention to this question for my conclusions are disputed by English ornithologists. They won't believe it possible that they have overlooked so large a bird in Europe as an eagle; but the