Mr. A. Chapman — Winter Notes in Spain. 457 



The place was remote^ and the night too near to allow of my 

 then awaiting her return (though I should have done so at any 

 cost !) ; so, after taking the two eggs, substituting for them 

 a couple of hard-boiled hen's eggs, and setting a large circular 

 steel trap in the nest, I left it. On returning next morning 

 there was no sign of the Eagle at the nest. After walking all 

 round, shouting out, and going up an adjacent sand-ridge, 

 which all but overlooked the nest, I was satisfied she was 

 not there, especially as the night before she had risen rather 

 wild. Accordingly we prepared to ascend ; but whilst throw- 

 ing the ropes over the lowest branches, a great shadow 

 suddenly glided across the sand beside me, and on looking 

 up there was the great chestnut-coloured Eagle slowly flap- 

 ping from her nest within 15 or 20 yards overhead. Before 

 I could drop the rope and clutch my gun the chance was 

 gone ; unluckily, however, the shot took some effect, and 

 though it failed to stop the bird, she went away badly struck, 

 with one leg hanging down, and never'^ returned. Tlius, by 

 bad luck, this chance of settling a doubtful point was lost. 

 In June of the same year (1883) we obtained a Tawny Eagle, 

 which I imagined would be a young Imperial of the year, 

 and being only winged, the bird was placed in the garden at 

 Jerez, where it lived till the early autumn of 1885. It was 

 then (at any rate) 2^ years old, and possibly much older, yet 

 it had never changed colour at all. The whole plumage was 

 rich tawny chestnut, rather lighter beneath, and the new 

 autumn feathers, which were growing at the time of the 

 bird's death, were also coming bright chestnut, and without 

 a sign of black. This Eagle, which I now have set up, has 

 also, to my eye, quite a different physical type from A. ad- 

 alberti, old or young, being heavier and more massive in 

 build, beak, and claws — indeed almost vulturine. The 

 middle toe appears to have four scutes, against six (one rudi- 

 mentary) in A, adalberti ; tail above uniform dark brown. 

 As already mentioned, I observed these rich tawny-coloured 

 Eagles on several occasions during last winter in Spain. The 

 forest-guards distinguished them from the young Imperial 

 Eagles, and said they were most numerous in winter^ though 



