(-533 ) 



lond-chirping heap of down and an addled egg. The young vulture was so pretty and 

 voracious that we decided to keep it alive. As long as we were iu El Kantara we 

 cramnaed it with chicken's heads and sparrows, and afterwards left it ia the care of 

 the waiter. When we left Algeria, in June, we received it — nearly full-grown, and 

 accora])anied hy anotlier Bearded Vulture of the same age. Both birds are at present 

 flourishing in an aviary at Tring. The egg measures STT x 0o'3 mm. 



We also received a young bird from the nest in the first grey-brown plumage, 

 and still with down on head and neck, on May 20, and bought another young one 

 in its second year from a dealer in Algiers. 



We were assured in Laghouat that Gi/pai-tiis occurs near there, and Mr. Ratclift'e 

 saw it on the Djebel Amour, north-west of Laghouat. 



153. Aquila chrysaetus (L.). 



The Golden Eagle is widely spread over Algeria, but naturally not common 

 anywhere. It is found from the northern Atlas to the M'zab-country, for we have 

 shot it near Hamraam Meskontine, and saw it flying along the railway line between 

 Bataa and Kroubs and near Berryaii, and we also saw a live one taken from 

 a nest near Ghardaia. A fine adult male was shot with dust shot from a vehicle 

 near Hammam Meskontine, being disturbed while eating a Barbary Partridge. 

 Its iris was dull yellow, variegated with rufous-brown ; bill dark blackish horn- 

 grey, base pale greenish horn-colour. Spread of wings 188 cm. It is rather 

 uniform dark ijrown : but we cannot at present discuss the geographical forms of 

 the " Golden Eagle." 



On March 25, 1911, apair of Golden Eagles were seen some five or six kilometres 

 from El Kantara. The female — its larger size could easily be seen when the 

 two were flying together — suddenly swooped down and disappeared behind a bush 

 on one of the highest and most perpendicular places of the clift'. It seemed to 

 move about behind the bush, aud Hilgert, thinking it might be feeding there, 

 fired with the rifle at the bush, with the sole result that the eagle departed with 

 great speed. Hardly a quarter of an hour later, the pair returned and " displayed " 

 in a most wonderfid wav. Both were circling round at g;reat heijiht, freelv utteriuo- 

 their cries, not quite unlike the barking of a small high-voiced dog, or between 

 that and the mewing of a Buzzard. Now and then they would swoop down with 

 wings drawn in, and regain their flight with outspread wings when nearly coming 

 to the rock ; and not rarely the female and once the male turned right over, floating 

 on their backs for a moment, with claws stretched out skywards, and the mate 

 would shoot down so as almost to hit it. All this display in the wonderful 

 clearness of the air, under a cloudless blue sky, and in the great solitude where 

 nothing could be heard but the song of a ('rested Ii-avV ov oia.n A mmnmanes, was of an 

 incomjiarable beauty for a lover of nature. After a rather long time the female again 

 disappeared behind the bush on the cliflF, aud never came out again. Not before then 

 did we grasp that there must be the nest. Again a bullet was fired through the 

 bush, without hitting the bird, which, like the Bearded Vulture on the Djebel Metlili, 

 was too high for shot. Next day Hilgert climbed with difficulty to a ledge under 

 the nest, but even from there shot would not touch the bird. At last we got 

 some Arabs to climb to the top of the mountain and let a man down to the nest — 

 which was a dangerous thing, as tiie rock was partly overhanging and had many 

 sharp edges, wliic.h were apt to cut the rope. Nevertheless they succeeded. It ^ 

 then turned out that behind the bush was a hollow so large that the man. 



