286 



NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



extends northward into central Europe, and eastward into India. It is plainly but 

 prettily marked, the under parts being mostly white, profusely spotted with brown, while 

 the njtper \>:\Yi< are jiretty uniform dark brown. It feeds almost exclusively on re]>tik'S, 

 particularly frogs, lizards, and snakes. Canon Tristram, in writing of this bird, says: 

 "They will often dash down to the field below, sweep for a few minutes like a 

 harrier, and then, seizing one of the gieat black ground snakes or a I'ropidonotus in 



Flu. ia4. — Morphmts yuiantnau, Guiana eagle. 



a ditch, sit down and occupy some minutes in killing tiie reptile, after which they 

 carry their prize away in tluir daw.s, not, like many other eagles, devouring it on the 

 spot." 



There are several other species of this genus, all crestless or only slightly crested, 

 while as many nii>re with conspicuous crests have been sep.-iratcd under the generic 

 name of SpUomiK. ."Members of both genera might pro].erly be called short-toed 

 eagles, and all seem to have rather similar rejitile-feeding habits, with a ]>rcference for 

 snakes. 



