143 
on any of the eggs of these various species, but on a few of the 
Fulvescens, there 1s a slight trace of this. 
In size, the eggs vary from 3, to 2°6 in length; and from 2°15 
to 1:95, in breadth, but the average of nine eggs measured, was 
2°77 X 2:09. 
The figure of this bird’s egg, in Bree, measures 2°88 x 2°05. 
The egg is represented as white, clouded with pale dingy yel- 
low, over the greater portion of the surface. 
Of its breeding elsewhere, Mr. Tristram gives us several 
notices. In Northern Africa he remarks—‘‘ This rare and 
magnificent bird appears to prefer the forests to the clifis, for 
the purpose of nidification. It occurs very sparingly in Algeria, 
but is well known to the Arabs, as distinct from the Golden 
Eagle. The eggs, seem scarcely ever to have any but the 
faintest clouding, or a few obsolete spots.” 
Again, in his notes on the Holy Land, he tells us: “ This 
truly imperial bird, is more abundant in Palestine, than in any 
country which I have visited. It may be said (in summer at 
least) in great measure, to replace the Golden Hagle of Europe. 
There is a beauty, and majesty in its movements, and in its 
greater fearlessness of man, when in search of food, which at 
once attracts one; while the very distinct white scapulars, and 
the light head, show conspicuously on the wing. Unlike the 
Golden Hagle, it was as common at one time of the year as 
another, though we never took a nest.” 
To Mr. W. H. Simpson, we owe the following account (vide 
Ibis, 1860) of the nidification of this species on the banks of the 
Danube— 
“Late in the afternoon of the 26th of April last, having 
driven across the treeless plain of the Dobrudska, I descended 
from the open plateau, which, in the part now alluded to, has 
a breadth of about forty miles, upon one of the small valleys 
communicating with the Danube. Our attention was imme- 
diately drawn to a large nest, that completely filled the boll of 
one of the aforesaid pollards. It was not very conspicuously 
apparent, as the branches, now thickening and becoming greener 
every day, formed a sort of leafy screen round the nest, which 
would have been well concealed a fortnight later. The nest 
was of a good size, its exterior circumference being, at a guess, 
15 feet; the interior was slightly depressed, but only enough to 
keep the eggs (two in number) from rolling out. It was lined 
with wool, which rested upon an immense circular platform of 
sticks, entirely filling up the boll of the pollard, from which, 
the young willow branches sprang upwards in a circle, all round 
the nest. By this means the entire structure was enclosed in a 
