The Key to Scientific Names
- PITHECOPHAGA
(Accipitridae; Ϯ Philippine Eagle P. jefferyi) Gr. πιθηκοφαγος pithēkophagos ape-eating < πιθηκοφαγεω pithēkophageō to eat ape flesh < πιθηκος pithēkos ape; φαγος phagos glutton < φαγειν phagein to eat; the impressive Philippine or Monkey-eating Eagle preys on flying-lemurs, monkeys and squirrels; "PITHECOPHAGA, gen. n. Probably most closely allied to Harpyhaliaëtus, of South America. Bill very deep and much compressed; the ridge of the culmen much curved, forming a perfect segment of a circle; nasal opening a vertical slit at the margin of the cere; lores and fore part of the face and cheeks covered with bristles only; a full occipital crest of long lanceolate feathers; legs and feet very powerful. Tarsi mostly naked, with a row of large scutes down the front; sides and back reticulate, hexagonal scales on the planta very large, and terminating in three large scutes above the base of the hallux; soles of the feet covered with rough papillæ; claws very strong and curved. Wings comparatively short and rounded, the primaries being very little longer than the secondaries, the first primary-quill much the shortest, and the fifth probably the longest (tip broken). Tail very long, composed of twelve feathers and slightly wedge-shaped, the middle pair being about an inch longer than the outer pair. 1. PITHECOPHAGA JEFFERYI, sp. n." (Ogilvie Grant 1896); "Pithecophaga Ogilvie-Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl., 6, 1896, p. 16. Type, by monotypy, Pithecophaga jefferyi Ogilvie-Grant." (Peters, 1931, I, p. 247).