NON-INDIGENOUS BRITISH BIRDS. 133 



Family FALCONID^. Genus Aquila. 



Sub-family AQUILIN^E. 



SPOTTED EAGLE. 



Aquila n.-evia, Meyer. 



(British : Very rare abnormal winter migrant.) 



Single Brooded. Laying season, May. 



Breeding area: Western Palaearctic region. The 

 small race of Spotted Eagle has a somewhat restricted 

 breeding range, being confined to Prussia and the North 

 German Confederation, the Baltic Provinces of Russia, 

 Poland, and South-west Russia down the valleys of the 

 Dnieper and the Dniester to the Caucasus. 



Breeding habits: The Spotted Eagle reaches the 

 north-western limits of its breeding range at the begin- 

 ning of April. Its breeding haunts are the great forests, 

 especially such as are swampy or situated near to 

 morasses and bogs. This Eagle is not gregarious, but 

 lives in scattered pairs. There can be little doubt that 

 it pairs for life, and yearly returns to one particular spot 

 to breed, generally making a new nest in the vicinity of 

 the one of the previous season. The nest is placed at 

 varying heights of from thirty to eighty feet from the 

 ground on large trees — beeches, firs, oaks, and birches 

 being used indiscriminately — either near the top where 

 several branches meet, or on a limb near the trunk. A nest 

 is recorded as having been built upon the ground. It is 

 a large flat structure, several feet across, and sometimes 

 a couple of feet in height, composed externally of sticks 

 of various thickness, the stouter ones being placed at the 

 bottom, and lined with fresh green twigs with the leaves 

 attached, or green grass. The bird sits closely, but when 

 disturbed makes little demonstration, either flying com- 



