THE OOLOGIST. 



29 



centre, and rises at each side somewhat in 

 the form of ears or tufts ; but the proud de- 

 portment aud the fierce ghmce of the eyes 

 redeem the Owl-like character thus giveu 

 to the liead. Ofteu liave we watclied tlie 

 spleudid Harpy Elagle in the gardens of the 

 Zoological Society, as he has sat upright 

 on his perch, and motionless as a statue, 

 unmoved by every attempt to intimidate 

 him, or disturb his dignitied composure, 

 while the gleam of his eye fixed steadily 

 upon us betokened at once daring and en- 

 ergy. In strength none can equal him ; in 

 courage and ferocity none excell him. But 

 we have seen the Harpy Eagle under other 

 circumstances : we have seen him feasting 

 on his slaughtered prey, with his talons 

 buried in the body, and his beak crimson 

 with gore ; on our approach, instead of 

 quitting it, he has expanded his ample 

 wings over it, so as to conceal it, and as- 

 sumed a menacing attitude, as if prepared 

 to contest the possession of it to the utmost ; 

 and such was the ferocity aud power dis- 

 played, as to convince us that any attempt 

 at interference (had it been practicable) 

 would have been a most dangerous under- 

 taking. The Harpy Eagle is a native of 

 Guitma and other parts of South America, 

 where it frequents the deep recesses of the 

 forests remote from the abodes of man. Of 

 its habits, however, in a state of nature, 

 we have but little information. It is fear- 

 ed for its great strength and fierceness, and 

 is reported not to hesitate in attacking in- 

 dividuals of the human race ; nay, that in- 

 stances have been known in which persons 

 have fallen a sacrifice, their skulls having 

 been fractured by the blows of its beak aud 

 talons. This may be an exaggeration, but 

 certainly it would be a hazardous experi- 

 ment to venture unarmed near the nest of 

 a pair of these formidable Eagles. Her- 

 nandez states that this species not only thus 

 ventures to assault man, but even beasts of 

 prey. According to Mandruyt, it makes 

 great destruction amongst the sloths, which 

 tenant the branches of the forest, and are 

 ill fitted to resist so formidable an antago- 

 nist ; it also destroys fawns, cavies, opos- 



sums, and other quadrupeds, which it car- 

 ries to its lonely retreat, there in solitude 

 to satiate its appetite. Monkeys are also 

 to be numbered among its victims ; but the 

 sloth is said to constitute its ordinary prey. 

 Of its nidification we know nothing ; as the 

 Eagles, however, lay only from two to three 

 eggs, it is reasonable to suppose that the 

 present species is not an exception to the 

 rule. 



It has been correctly observed by Mr. 

 Selby, that the members of the Aquiline 

 division of the Raptorial order do not pos- 

 sess the same facility of pursuing their 

 prey upon the wing which we see in the 

 Falcons and Hawks ; for though their flight 

 is very powei-ful, they are not capable of 

 the rapid evolutions that attend the aerial 

 attacks of the above-named groups, in con- 

 sequence of which their prey is mostly 

 pounced upon on the ground. The short- 

 ness of the wings of the Harpy Eagle, when 

 compared with those of the Golden Eagle 

 of Europe, and their rounded form and 

 breadth, tliough well adapting them for a 

 continued, steady flight, render them less 

 efficient as organs of rapid and sudden aeri- 

 al evolutions than those of the latter ; but 

 as it inhabits the woods, and does not prey 

 upon birds, but upon animals, incapable of 

 saving themselves by flight, its powers of 

 wing (or rather the modification of those 

 powers) are in accordance with the circum- 

 stances as to food and locality under which 

 it is placed. If the Harpy P^agle soars not 

 aloft, hovering over plains and mountains, 

 it threads the woods, it skims amidst the 

 trees, aud marks the sloth suspended on the 

 branch, or the monkey dozing in unsuspi- 

 cious security, and with unerring aim strikes 

 its defenceless victims. Mr. Selby, com- 

 menting on the fierceness of a pair of Gol- 

 den Eagles in his possession, and their 

 readiness to attack every one, indiscrimi- 

 nately, observes that when living prey (as 

 hares, rabbits, or cats) are thrown to them, 

 the animal is " instantly pounced on by a 

 stroke beliind the head, aud another about 

 the region of the heart, the bill appearing 

 never to be used but for the piu'pose of 



