AQUILA B E L L IC O SA .
(Aves-P late 4iZ)
AQUILA BELLICOSA.
A v E S -S -P l ATE X L I I .— (MlDDLE-AGED FEMALE.)
A. supra, purpureo-brunnea, plumis partlm purpureo-griseis tmotis ;, oerrice infra pectoreque brunneis ,
Tentrc, cmribusque albis, maculis fasdisque brunneis variegatis ; cauda purpureo-brunnea faseiis
septe’m purpureo-griseis notata, apice albo.
Longitudo 36 unc. 6 lin.
Le Griffard, Levaill.— Ois. d’ Afrique, vol. i. plate 1.
Falco bellicosus, Daud.—Orn. vol. ii. p. 38.—Latham, Ind. Orn. Supp. 1801.
F alco armiger.—Shaw’s General Zoology, 1806.
C o lo u r .— Head, neck, breast, back, rump, upper tail coverts, and lesser
wing coverts dull purplish brown, the interscapulars and the feathers of the
back and rump, together with the upper tail coverts, and lesser wing coverts,
more or less clouded with dull lavender-purple, and tipped with white ;
the edges of many of these feathers inclining to yellowish brown, belly, vent,
under tail-coverts and legs white, variegated with irregular shaped blotches
and short transverse stripes of a purplish brown colour, the latter principally
confined to the legs; primary quill coverts and secondary quill feathers purplish
brown, the outer vanes of the former and the inner vanes of the latter towards
their base clouded with lavender-purple, which colour on the coverts almost
forms distinct bars ; the points of the last named feathers white; secondary
wing coverts yellowish brown clouded with lavender-purple, and tipped with
dusky white. Primary quill feathers dusky brown with a strong shade of
grey, particularly on the outer vanes; the inner vanes with a number of
umber-brown bars. Tail above barred purplish brown and dull lavender-
purple, eight bars of the former colour and seven of the latter; beneath white,
barred with brown; the tips of all the feathers white. Bill and claws a
livid horn colour, with a yellow blotch on each side of base of lower mandible
towards the angle of the mouth. Eyes yellow. Toes livid greenish-yellow.
F orm, &c.—Figure moderately robust, somewhat intermediate between
that of the more typical eagles and Morphimis; feathers of occiput slightly
elongated and forming a rudimentary crest. Bill strongly curved towards the