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Show 312 MR. A. ANDERSON ON THE [Mar. 21, received a typical " bifasciata " in evidently nestling or first from Dr. Crowfoot, labelled " orientalis, juv., Sarepta, August," of uhich the following is a description:-General colour of upper parts a rich hair-brown ; the lower surface is a little lighter in tone; some of the feathers of the nape of the neck (as in the nestling of A. has-tuta) are tipped with fulvous ; the lower row of median coverts, the greater wing-coverts, and ends of the secondaries and tertials are very broadly ended with salmon-colour or reddish buff, forming three distinct wing-bars when the wing is closed; some of the median coverts nearest the tertials have the buff spot at the end of the feather of a long or isosceles-triangular shape, the point of the spot being of course towards the base of the feather ; most of the lower-back feathers are broadly edged with buff, and the lowest ones adjoining the upper tail-coverts are longitudinally marked with duller buff; one or two of these feathers have this colour almost confined to one side of the feather, with a slight spot on the other web; others have a very large oval spot of dull buff on the apical half of the feather, with a brown stripe down the middle of the feather dividing the buff; the side feathers of the lower back are much paler brown, and the broad edges of the feathers are dull white instead of buff; all the upper tail-coverts are of a beautiful buff or salmon-colour, having their edges somewhat paler; the tibial plumes are tipped with dull whitish ; the lower tail-coverts are first dull white streaked with brown, and those beyond them nearest the tail are dull unspotted buff; along the ridge of the wing towards bases of primaries there are some whitish spots, and the primary-coverts are broadly ended with salmon colour, like the greater coverts; lining of wing brown near bend ; lower down the feathers are tipped with white, and those nearest the primaries are largely patched with buff, the lowest leathers of all being white with some grey patches ; axillary plumes brown, with white tips; primaries black; secondaries not so black; tertials a dark brown, save the light tips of the two latter ; the inner primaries towards their bases are slightly mottled on their inner webs with grey, and the secondaries and tertials increasingly so, taking the form of distinct bars on the two latter; tail dark brown, barred with grey, all the feathers being broadly ended with reddish buff; the cere and feet appear to have been greenish yellow ; the outer primaries are not fully grown ; and as the specimen was procured in August, it is in all probability not more than three months old ; length of wings 19*75, tail 10*25, tarsus 3*6, bill from gape 2*8; the nostrils are long ones, placed obliquely, as is characteristic of J. bifasciata. This specimen, probably a female, is not full-grown, as the outermost primaries are only partially developed; and it is evidently in nestling plumage, as indicated by its uniform rich, soft, silky, dark brown plumage; the wing-bands as well as upper tail-coverts (these would have become gradually white from exposure to the influence of the sun) are of a rich fulvous or salmon-col our. I have frecpiently killed this Eacjle in a similar stage of plumage* ; but the wing-bands * Cf. P. Z. 8. 1872, p. 021. |
