106 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



clouded, blotched, and spotted nearly all over with 

 rusty or reddish-brown, and underlying markings 

 of grey. Some specimens are pure white, unspotted. 

 Size about 2.9 by 2.35 in. (See Plate VI.) 



Time. March and April. 



Remarks. Resident but wandering. Note : "a 

 barking cry " according to Seebohm ; and " a 

 loud yelp uttered several times in succession " ac- 

 cording to Dresser and Sharpe. Local or other 

 name : Ring-tailed Eagle, from the fact that young 

 specimens have the basal half of the tail white. 

 Sits fairly closely. 



EAGLE, WHITE-TAILED. Also SEA EAGLE. 



(Haliactus albictlla.) 

 Order ACCIPITRES ; Family FALCONID^ (FALCONS). 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about 

 thirty -three inches. Beak somewhat lengthened 

 and nearly straight, except at the tip, where the 

 upper mandible is much hooked. It is very strong, 

 horn colour at the tip, and yellow at the base, as 

 is also the bare skin surrounding that part. Irides 

 very light yellow. Head and neck ash-brown, 

 varying in hue with age ; back and wings dark 

 brown, a few lighter coloured feathers being inter- 

 mingled ; wing -quills dusky -black. Tail white. 

 Breast and under -parts dark brown. Legs and 

 toes yellow ; claws black. 



The female is thirty-eight inches, and both sexes 

 vary greatly in the colour of their plumage. 



Situation and Locality. On ledges and in holes 

 of high inaccessible cliffs, generally near the sea ; 

 in a tree or upon the ground on a small rocky 

 island in the middle of a mountain loch. In the 



