The South African Birds of Prey 17 



above, mottled with paler ; crown of bead and cheeks 

 brick-red, below pale fawn. 



(3) Birds wholly harmful. 



This is an exceedingly small group, embracing tbe 

 eagles and a few of the falcons. Some of the birds here 

 included in the present paper should very probably not 

 find a place in this group, but are included here until 

 further reliable information has been obtained. 



The White-backed Eagle {Aquila verreauxi) is a power- 

 ful bird, called by the Boers the "Dassievanger." It 

 inhabits the mountains, feeding chiefly on rock-rabbits, 

 as its Dutch vernacular name indicates. In addition, it 

 preys upon kids, lambs, and small antelopes. It is black 

 in colour, with a pure white centre to the back, and white 

 rump and upper tail coverts. 



The Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) resembles the pre- 

 ceding bird in habits. It is of a chestnut-brown above 

 and tawny-brown below ; tail blackish. The Boers call 

 this bird the Coo-vogel. 



The African Hawk-Eagle (Hieraetus spilogaster) feeds 

 on birds of various kinds, being also, according to Ayres, 

 a poultry thief. 



The Martial Hawk-Eagle [Eutolmaetus hellicosus) is 

 also a very depredatory species, feeding on kids, lambs, 

 and the smaller antelopes, hares, &c. It is of a dark 

 sepia-brown colour above ; head slightly crested ; below, 

 brown and white. 



The Crowned Hawk-Eagle {Spizaetus hellicosus) is 

 quoted in Sclater, vol. iii., as killing monkeys, cats, pigs, 

 lambs and geese, as well as bluebucks and dassies. 

 Ivy tells me that the ground beneath a nesfc of this bird, 

 in a kloof near Grahamstown, is usually strewn with the 



