FALCON I DAE l6l 



Here the crest is extremely long, but in the nearly black JVeojrus 

 inalayensis, ranging from India to the Moluccas, it is much shorter. 

 Sjnziastur melanoleucus, extending from Guatemala to Brazil, is 

 brownish-black, with white head, neck, and lower surface, the tail 

 has four darker bands, and black marks shew towards the crest. 

 In this species the inner claw and hallux are greatly developed. 

 Nisaetus pennatns, the " Booted Eagle " of South Europe, Africa, 

 and thence to India and Ceylon, so called from the feathered 

 legs, is brown above, with a white shoulder-patch, white tip to the 

 barred tail, and various huffish markings ; the head, neck, and 

 under parts are fawn-coloured, with brown streaks except on the 

 abdomen. N. fasciatus, Bonelli's Eagle, has a similar range, Ijut 

 reaches China, and not South Africa ; it lacks the shoulder-patch, 

 but is streaked on the abdomen. JSf. morphno'ides inhaljits Australia 

 and New Guinea, JV. sinlogaster and N. hpllicosus Southern Africa, 

 the last being slaty-black aljove, and having a plain brown chest. 

 The typical Eagle, the bird of Jove, the emblem of Eome and 

 of St. John, was some species of AqvAla. A. ehrysactus, the Golden 

 or Black Eagle, is exceptionally shot in England in winter — 

 especially in the north ; but it is the Sea Eagle that occurs most 

 frequently. In North Britain the former has bred in increasing 

 numl:)ers since protection has been given in deer-forests, where 

 it kills the grouse which startle the stalker's game ; a few pairs 

 remain in North and West Ireland ; while in times past it ranged 

 to the Peak of Derljyshire or even Snowdon. Al)road it occupies 

 most of Europe, North Asia to India and China, North Africa, 

 and North America to Mexico. Powerful and fierce by nature, and 

 ready to attack animals of considerable size, it never molests man 

 imder ordinary circumstances ; both parents, it is true, circle anxi- 

 ously round when the young are in danger, but sliould the nest 

 contain eggs, the hen, which sits closely, vanishes at once on leaving 

 them. She does not ieai)pear mitil all risk seems past, while the cock 

 is seldom sighted at the eyry, though usually seen in the vicinity. 

 The prey consists of antelopes, wolves, foxes, fawns, lambs, hares, 

 rabbits, marmots, geese, ducks, grouse, and so forth, with carrion, if 

 sufficiently fresli ; the ground is often quartered at a, low elevation, 

 and wonderfully rapid in the cliase is the fiight of this apparently 

 slow and ponderous l)ird, aided by its extraordinaril}' keen powers 

 of vision. Solitary individuals may occasionally be approached 1 )y 

 stalking, but in Britain tliey are generally wary, owing to constant 



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