THE HABPY EAGLE. 



The most fonnidable and ferocious of the family of bii'ds, of which we have been 

 treating is, probably, the Harpy eagle. It appears to be peculiar to South America. 

 The beak, the talons, and the tarsi of this bird are all indicative of extraordinary robust- 

 ness and power. A peculiarity is also observable m the wings, which from their rounded 

 form, are adapted rather to skim along the ground, than to mount into the higher regions 

 of the air. 



From the back of the head arises a crest, composed of numerous broad feathers, of a 

 dull black, capable of being erected or depressed at will. The middle feathers of this 

 crest are by far the shortest, so that when the whole is erected it foi-ms two plumes, not 

 unlike those which are observable in the great-eared owl. The rest of the head is cov- 

 ered with thick, soft, downy plumage, of a light slate colour. The back, the wings, and 

 a broad band across the chest are grayish black ; the imder surface is white ; the tail 

 ban'ed ; the beak black ; the tarsi yellow. 



There is, however, considerable difference in the colours of the immature bird. M. 

 Temminck describes the young, in its passage to the adult plumage, as having the back 

 and ^vings grayish fawn-colour, irregularly marbled and spotted with black ; the bars that 

 cross the legs fewer and more irregular ; all the lower parts of a whitish fawn-colour, 

 mixed with darker spots ; the upper surface of the tail ash-coloured, and marked with 

 small blackish spots, the places of the futm-e bands being marked by patches of black, 

 which increase in size at each successive change of plumage ; and its under surface 

 wliitish, dotted with fa^via. 



According to Hernandez, the Harpy does not scruple to attack the most ferocious 

 beasts, and even man himself ; but when he adds that it is so docile, that it may be 

 tamed and trained to hawk as readily as the rest of the accipitrine tribe, we feel per- 

 suaded that these statements must alike be greatly exaggerated. An additional reason 

 for this conclusion appears in his assertion, that the Harpy eagle is quarrelsome, sullen, 

 and fierce, and preys not merely on birds, but on hares, and other similar animals. 

 Lmniieus affirms, probably on the report of the keepers of the Spanish menagerie, that 

 it is able to split a man's skuU with a single blow of his beak. 



Mauduyt states, on the authority of travellers, that it commonly feeds on two species 

 of sloth, which are found in the forests of Guiana, and carries ofi" in its talons fawns and 

 other young quadrupeds. Sonnini, who confinns these details, describes it as living per- 

 fectly sohtary in the depth and darkness of the thickest forests, where, of course, it is 

 seldom disturbed by the curiosity of man. He himself observed it perched on the banks 

 of the Orapu, where it seemed almost motionless, and uttered no cry. He fired at it, 

 but his shot having only broken the wing of the bird, he fastened it by one leg to the 



* Harpyia Destructor. Cuv. 



