Ornithology of the Egyptian Soudan. 367 



be seen. The extreme shortness of the tail gives the 

 Bateleur a crescent shape in flight which is quite peculiar 

 to it; the black of the heavy-looking head and breast 

 contrasts strongly with the silvery white of the under 

 wing as it soars through the brilliant African sunlight ; 

 while, if the bird is near enough, the red of the bill and 

 feet forms a further touch of vivid colour. 



This Eagle has a powerful cry, which on paper might be 

 rendered as " ka-ow ! " It is, however, very silent as a rule. 



I have seen a pair of Bateleurs circling over a female 

 Oryx leucoryx which had a newly- born calf under her, and, 

 though they made no attempt to attack, the anxiety of the 

 mother was obvious. 



208. Aquila rapax (Temm.). 



a. <J. Jan. 30, 1903. 



b. $ . Urn Dam, Kordofan, May 5, 1904. 



The Tawny Eagle is not uncommon. It seems to be 

 more plentiful in Kordofan than in any other part of the 

 couutry that I have visited. I purchased a young bird at 

 Fashoda in April 1902, which is still living in the Zoolo- 

 gical Gardens at Cairo. 



The specimen shot at Khartoum was drinking at the edge 

 of the river in the centre of a group of Egyptian Geese. 

 Its crop contained pieces of putrid goat's flesh and skin. 



209. Aquila nipalensis Hodgs. 



Lt.-Col. Penton, D.S.O., has shewed me the skin of: an 

 Eagle which he shot at Um Dam (Kordofan) in 1903. I 

 think that it belongs to this Steppe-Eagle, but I am not 

 familiar with the bird, and am not positive about my 

 identification. 



210. Lophoaetus occipitalis (Daud.). 



The Black-crested Eagle is fairly common throughout 

 the forest-country of the Soudan. I have noted it at 

 Gallabat, on the Blue Nile, Rahad, and Dinder, on the 

 White Nile and on the Bahr-el-Ghazal. In the sandy bush- 

 plains of Western Kordofan it seems to be absent. 



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