108 - A Description of the Birds 
eyes yellow, and thinly covered with black hair; “ eyes 
reddish brown.” Head, neck, interscapulars, anterior part of 
back, and breast pure white; the feathers of the head, back 
of neck, and interscapulars, with their shafts brownish red; 
belly and thighs deep chesnut. Primary and secondary wing 
coverts, as well as primary and secondary wing feathers, deep 
shining black ; tail slightly rounded, and pure white; legs and 
toes deep yellow; claws black. Length from bill to root of 
tail twenty-five inches; length of latter eight inches. 
Female.—The black color is less clear; the white is more 
dusky ; and the chesnut lighter; which, together with the 
greater size, form the only differences between the sexes. 
Young.—‘ The parts that are white in the old bird, are ashy 
gray in the young;” those that are chesnut in the former, are 
brownish in the latter; and the shoulders and back are also of 
a brown color; the wing feathers are black, but not so deep 
as in mature specimens. ‘In the third year it acquires its 
complete plumage.” 
In the vicinity of most of the large rivers of South Africa 
this bird occurs, and it is also now and then met with about 
the different bays along both coasts; but particularly the South- 
east one. ‘They build their nests upon the tops of trees or 
on rocks, and the female lays three or four white eggs, rather 
larger than those of the turkey.”” When this bird is observed 
to make much noise as perched upon the trees on the banks 
of rivers, the inhabitants consider rain as near at hand. 
HatimEetus BLAGRUS. Fishing Eagle of the Colonists. 
Falco blagrus, Shaw 7, p. 96; Le Blagre, Le Vaill. Ois 
Afr. pl. 5. 
H. fuscus, capite, collo, cauda, corporeque subtus albis hume- 
ris fuscis ; iridibus fuscis ; tarsis flavis; unguibus nigris. 
“ Bill brownish; eyes deep brown; head, neck, breast, 
belly, and thighs satin white, with the feathers of the head 
and back of the neck edged with brown. Scapulars and 
secondary wing coverts light grayish brown; tail the same, 
with the exception of the tip, which is white. Primary wing 
feathers blackish ; outer vanes of secondaries like the scapu- 
lars; legs and feet yellowish; claws black.” Length about 
“two feet.” 
“This bird is found inhabiting the sea coast and the banks 
of rivers abounding with fish; and is hence seldom met with 
far in the interior.” Near the mouth of the Boscheman river 
I once saw a bird of prey, which was, evidently, one of the 
species above described ; and on another occasion one perched 
upon a large tree over-hanging the Keiskamma. I have 
never, however, been able to procure specimens for examina- 
tion. 
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