FROM SPAIN. 495 
Var 
BONELLYS EAGLE (Aquila bonelli) AND 
THE OSPREY (Pandion haliaétus). 
BonEvurs Hagle is indisputably one of the rarest Huropean 
birds of prey, for, although the area of its distribution ex- 
tends over the entire southern part of our continent and some 
portions of Asia, as well as along the north coast of Africa, it 
is everywhere extremely uncommon. 
According to earlier records it seems to have occurred in 
all the provinces of Spain; but though I have hunted after it 
frequently, and taken a great deal of trouble to catch sight of 
it, I have only had two opportunities of doing so. 
When riding along the fortifications on the slope of the 
rock of Gibraltar I saw a Bonelli’s Eagle. It flew low over 
us, and was a beautifully coloured old bird, with dark back and 
wings and pure white underparts. I was told by the English 
officers that its nest was situated on a cliff that fell abruptly 
down to the sea, and that it had for years been protected from 
all pursuit. On reaching the highest point of the rock I was 
shown this well-known eyrie, which is described by that 
excellent ornithologist Colonel Irby, in his work on the birds 
of Gibraltar. 
It was placed on a projecting part of a very high cliff, and 
we could, from where we stood, get a very good slanting 
view of its interior. It was well constructed of branches, 
broom, and grass, and the two almost full-fledged young that 
it contained were hopping about lustily, and clambering to 
its edge with outstretched wings. 
This nest is occupied every year, and there is no other on 
