THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 7 



ference of the globe.* It prefers mountains or extensive 

 forests, building its eyrie either on rocks or lofty trees. 

 In France, Sweden, Spain, and Switzerland, it is frequently 

 observed ; but in the British Isles it is mostly confined to 

 Scotland. Its note, called in the Highlands " a bark," is 

 sharp and loud, resembling at a distance, as, on the only 

 occasion I ever heard it, it seemed to me, the croak of a 

 Raven. It lays two or sometimes three eggs, and feeds its 

 young, which are very voracious, on birds and the smaller 

 quadrupeds. 



THE SPOTTED EAGLE. 

 XQUILA N.EVIA. 



Plumage of the body, head, wings, and tail, of a light or dark brown, according 

 to different states of age and sex, brighter towards the tail and thighs. Young 

 birds have many of the principal feathers spotted with greyish white, but 

 these spots become darker in old birds, and finally disappear. Beak black ; 

 cere and feet yellow. Length about two feet. Eggs white. 



THE Spotted Eagle has but little claim to be considered a 

 British bird, very few specimens only having been seen 

 in these islands, and at distant intervals of time. Its 

 usual resort is the south and east of Europe, Egypt, and 

 other parts of Africa. In France, and some parts of 

 central Europe, it is rarely seen except at the two 

 periods when wild-fowl perform their migrations, the 

 flocks of which it accompanies for the sake of supplying 

 itself with food. From the fact that scarcely any but full- 

 grown specimens are seen in the North, and young ones 

 principally in the South, it is inferred that it belongs 

 rather to warm than cold climates. This inference is 

 strengthened also by the observation that these Eagles are 

 more numerous in the central parts of Europe at the time 

 when the wild-fowl are winging their way northwards, than 



* Colonel Hamilton Smith. 



