Ornithology of Sardinia. 149 



She returned to the nest shortly afterwards, on my having 

 retired to a little distance. Wishing to secure a specimen, I 

 managed to obtain a difficult but unsuccessful shot as she 

 repeated the same manoeuvre. The male bird was in sight 

 when I first found the nest, but disappeared almost imme- 

 diately, and did not return. 



4. Aquila chrysaetus 



is the commonest Eagle in the island. A nest found on 

 the 21st of April was built on a grassy ledge of a small pre- 

 cipice, and contained two eggs. One was addled ; but the 

 other was just beginning to chip ; so I took it home and had it 

 hatched under a hen • but unfortunately the young bird died 

 in less than a week, from having been overfed during my 

 absence. The weight of the old female, which I shot, was 

 11 lb. 9 oz. ; her crop was full of mutton in a high state of 

 decomposition. 



5. Aquila bonellii. 



Common. I have seen these birds repeatedly hunting over 

 the plain and round the " stagnos " of Oristano. They are also 

 abundant in the mountains. 



6. HALIAETUS ALB1CILLA. 



I never met with this bird myself; but it is mentioned in 

 both Cara's and Salvador's catalogues, the latter having seen 

 one near Cagliari. I found what I took to be a nest of this 

 species on the island of Vacca, off the S.W. corner of Sardinia ; 

 it was very large, and built on the point of a precipice imme- 

 diately overhanging the sea. This was on the 5th of May ; 

 and the young birds had flown. 



7. PANDION HALIAETUS 



is stated not to be uncommon along the sea-shore. I saw 

 none during the winter. The nest above mentioned might 

 have belonged to this species. 



8. ClRCAETUS GALLICUS. 



These birds seem to be rare on the island, only visiting it 

 during their migration ; and I cannot find any mention of their 

 having been discovered breeding. I saw one on the 8th of 



