Birds of Prey. 



119 



The Lakger Spotted Eagle. 



in Britain on about ten occasions. It is an 

 inhabitant of South-eastern Europe and ex- 

 tends to Central Asia and even to Eastern 

 Siberia. The Lesser Spotted Eatjle iA. 

 pamarina] is found in Central and Southern 

 Europe, and it is this form which might have 

 been expected to visit Great Britain, but has 

 not been identified as yet within our limits. 



The present species is very little larger 

 than some of the Buzzards, and may be 

 recognised by its uniform brown adult plumage, 

 and bv the tail, which is perfectly uniform 

 underneath. Young birds are remarkable for 

 the tawny spotting on the wings, whence the 

 name of 'Spotted' Eagle is derived. Its food is 

 also like that of a Buzzard, consisting of 

 frogs, snakes, lizards, and insects. The 

 nest is placed in trees in swampy forests. 

 It is a large structure of sticks and is lined 

 with green leaves or fresh green grass. The 

 eggs are two in number, \ery rarely three, and measure about two-and-three-quarter 

 inches in length. They are small editions of the egg of the Golden Eagle. 



The Sea-Eagles are to be re.cognised from the Golden and 



"^^^ Spotted-P'agles by their bare feet, and the absence of feather- 



WHITE-TAILED 



SEA-EAGLE. 



(Halia'ctus nlbicilla.) 



ing on the tarsus. 

 The white tail is a 

 distinguishing char- 

 acter of the adult 

 Sea-Eagle, and the 

 young birds have a 

 white tail mottled 

 with brown. In 

 most of its former 

 breeding haunts in 

 Great Britain, the 

 White-tailed Eagle 

 has become exter- 

 minated, but a few 



The White-tailkd Sea-Eagi.e. 



