16 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



this colony in Lis vivid French imagination. Thpse word-pictures seena 

 to run away with our neighbours, and carry them into the land of 

 Fable, as witness the wondrous gorilla-tales not long since given to the 

 world. Sober truth obliges us to disbelieve the whole account, and to 

 relate what we have seen of them. They were very plentiful at Point 

 Pedro, in the North of Ceylon, and frequented the jungle-dotted plains 

 throughout the Northern Province. It was no uncommon thing to 

 see three or four on the wing at once, wheeling round in airy circles ; 

 and from these peculiar markings they could be recognised at a great 

 distance. They built in banian trees, usually a large, strong nest of 

 sticks, without any lining, and laid three eggs, of dull- white colour, 

 with a few dried-blood-coloured blotches at the obtuse end. Axis, 

 2" 7"' ; diameter, 2". They fed on snakes, lizards, and other reptiles 

 and insects. They were particularly partial to the large trees on the 

 banks of tanks, and from them swooped down on the frogs which 

 came up to sun themselves on the floating logs or weeds. 



Genus PANDION, Savigny. 

 Bill short, culmen covered from the base to the tip, which 

 is hooked and acute ; the sides compressed, and the lateral 

 margins slightly festooned ; the nostrils moderate, sublinear, 

 and rather oblique. Wings reaching to the tip of the tail, 

 with the second and third quills equal and longest. Tail 

 moderate and rather even. Tarsi short, very strong, and 

 entirely covered with reticulated scales. Toes long, much 

 padded beneath, and united at the base to the middle toe, 

 mostly covered above with small scales ; the claws very long, 

 much curved and rounded beneath. 



20. Pandion Haliaetus. (Linn). Cuv., pi. Eni. 



414. The Osprey. 



General colour deepish-brown ; wing-feather approaching 

 to black ; tail indistinctly barred with white. Head with a 

 white horse-shoe mark, extending from the back of the eye, 

 more or less broken with brown. Chin, belly, thighs, and 

 vent white ; the latter blotched slightly with rufous. Chest 

 variegated with brown. Length, 2' 1" ; wing, 20" ; tail, 

 8^". Iris light-yellow ; legs livid. 



Quoted as from South Africa by M.Verreaux. and found at Natal by 

 Mr. Ayres, who says they frequent the salt-water lakes near the sea. 

 I have tever seen it from the Cape Colony. My description is taken 

 from a European specimen. 



Genus HALIAETUS, SavigJiy. 



Bill large, culmen straight at the base, and curved to the 



tip, which is hooked and acute, the sides compressed, the 



lateral margins slightly festooned, and the lores naked ; the 



nostrils moderate, linear, and oblique. Wings lengthened and 



