Page:Stray feathers. Journal of ornithology for India and its dependencies (IA strayfeathersjou11873hume).pdf/354

330

Notes upon some of the Indian and European Eagles. lish, confirms the first measurement. It will be thus seen, that the bird described is full Imperial Eagle size; and this renders Mr. Gurney's conclusion, that original A. nævia was a bird the size of Aq. hastala, impossible to be received. The tail is said to be 12 inches long 12 inches English! Now what Aquila hastata or even A. nævia, as we receive the bird in India, has a 12 in. tail? Is it possible that the specimen described was terribly elongated skin? But though this would get rid of the difficulty of total length, what becomes of the extra long tail, which certainly would not stretch. What a pity the old writers omitted the all-important measurement of length of wing from carpal joint! But the expanse is said to be only 1 feet, feet 14 English. This is too little for eveu dq. hastata; so that too much importance should not be attached to Brisson's total length measurement. In the description of the colors there are a few points noted, which strongly indicate the bird we recognize in India as dq. nævia. "Ale subtus maculis multis, ovalibus, albis, hinc inde sparsis, insigniuntur. Crura et pedes pennis vestiuntur ad principium diguitorum usque, et albis similiter notis sunt aspersa." This reference to oval white spots could hardly apply to any other eagle. The general color of the body is thus described: In universo ferè corpore obscure ferrugineo colore tingitur. Guttur tamen obscure albet." The tail feathers are said to be white at their bases and their tips, and they are also said to be transversely barred. "Rectrices in ewrortu et apice albent; in reliqua longitudine obscurè ferrugineo tinguntur, et maculis latiusculis, fuscis transversim notantur." I have noticed that some of the younger spotted examples have fairly barred tails, although this is not the rule; and frequently the inner webs of the secondaries and tertials are barred. The only other eagle, any thing like the description by Brisson, is the young lineated Aquila mogilnik, and the dimensions, save expanse, would agree well. Can it be possible that this spotted stage of the Imperial eagle was the original 4. nævia? I leave this for better judges than myself to settle. It is important to settle the point, if possible, who was the original describer; and which has priority, Aquila navia, Schwenck, or Aquila clanga, Klein? One of the two latter authors may give some explicit reference which will remove all doubt as to what the original Aquila navia was. Again, it is possible, that although Pallas and Brisson unite the two terms, they may after all refer to two distinct species? Brisson's reference to white on the tarsus, as in the case of Pallas's description of Aq. clanga, points to onr Indian Nevia or the spotted eagle of south-east Europe in con- tradistinction to the small Pomoranian eagle. The latter I