BIHDS OF S. W. PROTECTORATE 91 



eggs were laid, aiul llic tiiial liiiiii.u was put iu ([lUte a 

 month before the tiisi egg appeared. Tlie nest itself was 

 bnilt of dead sticks, tlie lining consist ing of the leaves of 

 a bush Avbieh grew plentifully on the su.rrounding hills. 

 On visiting the nest on the 5th May, 1918, 1 thished the 

 male bird fi'om the nest and found that two eggs had been 

 laid. One pure white, the other of a white ground colour, 

 covered at the stnaUcr end with a cap of dark-red-brown 

 (dry i)lood colour) blotches and spots; measurements 

 79 • 9 X 60 • 9 mm. On this occasion I stayed near the 

 nest for some time and \\atched the parent birds. The 

 male bird was comparatively fearless and often came 

 back, Hying past within range, but the female was 

 very wild, and although circling round about, and not 

 going far away, she never came within even long range 

 of the nest. I know no prettier sight than to Avatch the 

 flight and actions of this fine eagle. The jet-black plum- 

 age contrasts most beautifully with the snow white rump 

 and inner scapulars, and every moticm in flight is 

 peculiarly graceful iVAd at the same time powerful. — 

 Xow with motionless wings they sweep round in wide 

 circles, getting higher and higher nntil they are mere 

 specks in the sky, then all of a sudden the wings will 

 be abnost closed and the bird dives with one superb 

 stoop almost to the ground ; as it nears the ground the 

 wings are opened and with a graceful curve it shoots 

 upwards almost to the same elevation from which it 

 fell, — a grand sight. Sometimes a pair may be seen 

 playing in the air, and it is very pretty to see them mak- 

 ing playful stoops at (me another, the bird stooped at, 

 turning on its back in the air, and with u]jturned talons 

 pretending to ward oft' the feint-attack. The Windhuk 

 district is well-suited to the habits of this species; the 

 mountains are the home of Klipspringers and swarms of 

 dassies which form their principal prey. I also found 

 a freshly killed guineafowl lying in the nest before tFe 

 eggs were laid. Although T saw two eggs in the nest, it 

 api)ears that only one voung bird is reared^ as T have 



