JWoW¿iKCRuhur Jd a ,h d i. AQUILA A. V IA .
AQUILA NJEVIA.
Spotted Eagle.
Falco navius et maculatus, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 358.
Aquila ncevia, Meyer, Taschenb. Deutschl. Vog., tom. i. p. 19.
pomarina, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl., tom. i. p. 27.
planga, Vieill. Eocy. Mfith. Qrn., p art iii. p. 1190.
— bi/asciata, Homsch.
meldmetos, Savig. Descr. de l’Egypte, Hist. Nat,, tom. i. p. 84,
vittata, Hodgs. in Gray’s Zool. Misc., 1844, p. 81 ?
anatraja, Savi, Oru. Tosc., tom. ii. p. 22.
Spizaetus fuscvs, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xxxii. p, 60.
A l th o u g h the Spotted Eagle is one o f the smallest members of its genus, it is in every respect a
true Aquila; and had it been a native of the British Islands instead o f an accidental visitor, it would
in the Raptorial division of our avifauna. In Mr. Rodd’s useful
de to the Ornithology Of Cornwall/ two instances are given of its
* following words:—
fish example of this rare ^Eagle took place o iu th e 4th of December,
nwall, at a large covert called Hawk’&Wood, the property of Francis
adjoining the large moors between Hawk’s T o r and Kilmar, and not
heese-wring. Hawk’s Tor and Kilmar Tor rank amongst the highest
titude from 1000 to 1200 feet; the characters of these hills and the
•ection are exactly similar to fhose on Dartmoor; in fact, the range
ranite tract-Extending, with some few interruptions, to the Land’s-end.
a tree, to m which, on the approach o f the shooting party, instead o f
gambled ■ under some rocks; its condition was beyond the average of
s o f fat encircling the gizzard, which, on dissection, was entirely empty; one
'okcn, but I whether with shot or otherwise I could not determine; the body,
the bird exhibited the most perfect form; but probably the injury above
om taking flight. I t was a male in the first year’s plumage, and weighed
have been an important
‘ List o f British Birds a
occurrence in that count;
“ The capture o f the fi
1860, in the eastern part
Rodd, Esq., of Trebarths
very far from the well-ki
hills in Cornwall, reachin
moors about them in *i
is a continuation of the
The bird was first obser
soaring, it shuffled do»?«,
birds o f prey, large
o f the wing-bones was h
and every part oi
ned prevented it f
■ in tiv
;st Eng
o f Cor
Ha ll
ery
and
wings,
inentic
4 lbs.
‘•A
1861;
¡econd example, almost in a
it is now in the Truro Mus
my best thanks are here offered to
for the service they thus rendered
much the young and adult differ Yi
contrast, the livery in tUe-, latter •
marked and ornamented. I t is *
one of our southern cottttties, whto
breeds in Scotland, should never
o f the western movement of Contio
Although I have g iven. precede:
not fail to stale that a place h e
to bis ‘ History of British Birds:/ M
addition to the ornithology o f th. <
men /’ observes Mr. Ba
similar state o f plumage, was killed near Carnanton, in November,
cum,” whence it was kindly sent up to London for my use; and
Dr.. Barham and the Council of the Royal Institution of Cornwall
to th e ’ present work. It will be seen by the hinder figure how
; plumage. No other species of Aquila, in fact, offers so great a
tate being’ nearly uniform in colour, while the other is so much
>mewhat strange that this continental species should have visited
, according to Mr. Rodd, the Golden Eagle, a bird which commonly
iiave been seen th ere ; it forms another instance in exemplification
" This s|M
time in a
shade o f brown, was s
had been noticed dori
which » near YougW
The proper home *
Asia Minor, Palestine,
Peninsula has by son
in their identity, and
portions o f Central an
to the §English-killed specimens o f the Spotted Eagle, I must
avifauna was .first assigned to it by Mr. Yarrell in the supplement
i h e says, “ F o r the particulars of the occurrence o f this interesting
ish Islands, I am indebted to Mr. Robert Davis, jun., of Clonmel.
“ was shot on the estate o f the Earl o f Shannon, and was a t the
field devouring a rabbit. Another bird similarly marked, but reported to be o f a lighter
tvas shot a t the same place within a few days, but unfortunately was not preserved ; both
titering the two previous months, sweeping over the low grounds in the neighbourhood,
ugbat. i.-5 Castle Martyr aud Clay Castle.”
>mv •< -ii--. V.- ■■■xna is tbe southern and eastern countries of Europe, Norte Afrvca.
stioe, .««i W estern India; I say probably, because the bird inhabiting »IN' Indian
isidered distinct; but Mr. Blytb, no mean authority, believes
Iso abundant in the Himalayas, and in the wooded and watery
d So<