Review



55



Eagle and Sparrow. — Probably most visitors to the London

Zoological Gardens suppose that captive Eagles frequently dash after

the Sparrows which venture into their cages. My experience of

numerous visits has shown the opposite, as although several Eagles of

different genera and species have been seen to “eye” a Sparrow for a few

seconds, the only one I ever saw dash at one was a Corean Sea Eagle.

One day during August, 1901, when approaching the cage, I noticed

the eye of the Eagle light up as it gazed for a few seconds at a Sparrow,

which was sitting on the floor of the cage and between the upright bars

(with its body, therefore, half inside and half outside the cage). The

Eagle was on the perch, and without making any cry or screech its

wings were suddenly raised above its head (almost, if not quite, meeting

each other), and it dashed like lightning at the bars, crashing against

them with its legs, which were extended fully, and getting its toes

round the Sparrow before the latter had realized the situation and

made any attempt to escape. The Eagle*however, though its claws

were encircling its prey, could not close them completely , because the

bars were one on each side of the Sparrow, which finally managed to

wriggle out and escape. When the Eagle found its prey had escaped

it grasped the bars for several minutes and sat there flapping its wings,

screeching now and then. Like certain mammals which are only

black and white, the contrast of colours in this Eagle, which was all

black except for the white tail and beak, rendered it more attractive

than some birds, which have several and more gaudy hues. Whether

other Eagles can pounce so quickly as this one J cannot say, having no

means of comparison, but from the extraordinary rapidity of this

individual I cannot believe that any other species could move faster. —

Frederick I). Welch, M.R.C.S.



REVIEW


A Naturalist’s Sketch-book. By Archibald Thorburn, F.Z.S.

Longmans Green & Co. With sixty plates. £6 65. net.


British throughout, this grand volume fittingly commences with

a frontispiece of that peculiarly British bird, the Red Grouse. These

three studies, in fact, are typical of the entire work, transporting the



