112 A Description of the Birds 



1 Aqcila bellicosa. Daudiu. 



Falco Armiger, Shows Zoology, vol. 7, p. 57. — Falco bellieosus, 

 hid. Orn. vol. I, p. 9. — Le Griffard, Le Vaillant Oiss. d'Afri- 

 que, tome 1, pi. 1. 



A rostro nigricante ; capite stibcristato ; plumis capitis, 

 cervicisque albo et nigro-fuscus variegatis ; (torsi humeroritmquc 

 fnseis albo marginatis. Infra alba ; remigibus primariis 

 nigris apicibus albis; sectntdariis et rectricibus nigro griseoquc 

 fasciatis, extrema parte albis. 



Bill bluish at the base, black elsewhere ; eyes fine brown ; 

 space between them and bill thinly covered with black bristles ; 

 plumage of hindhead a little elongated, so as to form a slight 

 crest. Feathers of head, and of back and sides of neck, as 

 well as of the front thereof towards its middle, variegated 

 blackish brown and white ; the latter towards their bases and 

 tips, and the former intermediate between those ; interscapu- 

 lars, back, tail, coverts, and shoulders more or less deep 

 brown ; with the tips of all the feathers, but particularly of 

 those of the latter, dusky white. Throat, breast, belly, and 

 legs. pure white. Primary wing feathers black, tipt with 

 white ; secondaries alternately banded with dusky blackish 

 brown and dull hoary gray, and all broadly tipt with Avhite. 

 / Tail slightly rounded, with each feather banded more or less 

 / directly across by black and hoary gray, the latter usually 

 passing to white towards the inner margins of the inner vanes, 

 and all distinctly tipt with white. Tarsi and toes a light 

 livid green, inclining sometimes to yellowish green ; claws 

 deep black and much curved ; length from bill to base of tail 

 twenty inches; length of latter twelve inches; expanse of 

 wings about eight feet and a half. 



Le Vaillant says*, the female is about one-fourth larger 

 than the male, and nearly of the same color; that she lays 

 two large and almost round white eggs in a nest constructed 

 on 'a tree or upon rocks, according to circumstances ; that the 

 male and female are usually seen together, and that their 

 favorite food consists of hares and the smaller antelopes, 

 which they pursue with much activity and determination. He 

 also remarks that it is only found on the western coast of 

 South Africa, which is also the locality that my experience 

 warrants me in assigning it, as the only two examples I have 

 en were near to the mouth of Oliphants River. 



2. Aquila vulturina. Berghaan and Dassievanger of the 

 Colonists. 

 Falco Vulturinus, Shaiv's Zoology, vol. 7 , p. 58. — Le Caffre 

 Lc Vaillant Oiss. d'Afrique, tome \, p. 28. 



• Wherever my own observations are deficient, and the want can be sup- 

 plied by a reference to the work of the author just quoted, 1 shall al».n- 

 avail mysell thereof without hesitation, only making him respond W'- by 

 acknowledging the authority. 





