1014 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISr. SOCIETY, Vol. XX f I. 



when I was onlj' a few feet from it, so I was able to 

 secure both. The Wood-Owl is, in my experience, 

 one of the most difhcult birds to catch in a net. It 

 will either sit on its perch and blink away without 

 attempting to come down at all, specially in the day, 

 or it will come readily and turn aside when within a 

 couple of feet of the net, and the back-ground 

 must be such as to make the net absolutely invisible 

 before one of these owls can be caught. Why this 

 one came down, in broad day-light, and did not 

 swerve as they usually do, I do not know, and why 

 the Buzzard should ignore the pigeon and attack 

 something larger than himself was also curious, 

 especially as it was in the depths of winter and 

 therefore neither eggs nor youngsters were to be 

 protected. 



This species is much given to not only sitting on 

 the ground but does a great deal of walking and 

 running about, in quest of insects. 



It builds on trees, from March to May, a nest 

 made of sticks, usually unlined, and lays 3 to 4 eggs, 

 usually white but sometimes spotted, measuring 

 1-83 by 1-53. 



Genus Haliaetus. 



No. 1223. Haliaetus leucoryphus 

 Charac teris tics . 



Colouration. 



Measurements 



Pallas's Fishing-Eagle. 



Size large, wing about 23". Tarsi feathered in 

 front for about one-third of its length, with a few 

 large scutse below the feathering, in front only. 

 The remainder of the tarsus reticulated. Claws 

 grooved boneath. Tail rounded, a white band across 

 the centre. 



The whole and head and neck light coloured, varying 

 from pure white on the forehead, whitish on the 

 throat, sides of neck and head and chin, to fulvous. 

 The body above and below dark brown, often with 

 a purplish gloss. The tail has a wide band about 

 four inches in width, across it, and some three 

 inches from the end, which is pure white. 



The young plumage is totally difl'erent being a 

 pale brown throughout, darker on the back than on 

 the lower surface. Quills and tail-feathers dark 

 brown. In this phase of plumage the bird some- 

 what resembles the lineated phase of the Imperial 

 Eagle, but, of course, cannot be confused with it as 

 its tarsi are not feathered, back and front to the 

 toes, as in the Aquila. 



" Bill dark plumbeous, cere and gape light plum- 

 beous (irides greyish yellow ; legs and feet dull 

 white ; claws black." (Gates.) 



N.B. — In many Punjab birds I have found the eye 

 some shade of brownish yellow or almost entirely 

 light brown. 



" Length of a female 33 ; tail 12 ; wing 23 ; 

 tarsus 4 ; bill from gape 2*9 ; males are smaller, 

 the wing being 1 to 2 inches shorter." (Blanford.) 



