1974 THE DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY 



suddenly utter its shrill, clamorous, half croak-like, half scream-like cry, spread out 

 its wings, and sweep across the water in search of winged game on the plains. Ris- 

 ing at first in wide circles, until nearly lost to view, it would gradually descend in 

 similar gyrations, until with a sudden swoop it would dart upon some unfortunate 

 partridge or hare, and bear it off in its talons. 



The American white-headed sea eagle ranges from the frozen regions of Alaska 

 and the Aleutian islands to the torrid plains of Mexico, although it is only a 

 summer visitant to the more northern portions of its habitat. The nests appear to be 

 similar to those of the European species, and but rarely contain more than a single 

 pair of eggs. Usually situated in tall pines, at a height varying from twenty to one 

 hundred feet above the ground, they may occasionally be found on the ground 

 itself. Captain Bendire states that this bird subsists more on winged game captured 

 by its own exertions than on fish, and that the accusation of its gaining its subsist- 

 ence mainly by robbing the osprey is unfounded. Still, however, like others of its 

 genus, there is no doubt that it does at times obtain a meal in this comparatively 

 easy manner, and in some cases it has to depend entirely on fish for its food supply. 

 A correspondent writes to the author just referred to, that on one occasion he 

 noticed one of these sea eagles hovering over the sea in a manner very similar 

 to that of the osprey when about to strike a fish. ' ' Suddenly he plunged down 

 and grappled with what I supposed to be a large fish, but was unable to rise with 

 it from the water, and after struggling a while he lay with wings extended and ap- 

 parently exhausted. After resting a minute or two, he again raised himself out of 

 the water, and I saw he had some large black object in the grasp of one of his 

 talons, which he succeeded in towing along the top of the water toward the shore, a 

 short distance, and then letting go his hold. He was then joined by two other 

 eagles, and by taking turns they soon succeeded in getting it to the shore. ' ' The 

 booty was a large cormorant, upon which the eagles were about to feast. It is a 

 remarkable fact, that of the two~ eggs usually laid by this species, one is always 

 superior in size to the other, the difference between the two in this respect being 

 sometimes very great. Steller's sea eagle subsists on young seals, Arctic hares, 

 and foxes, and ptarmigan, but it will also eat dead fish and the carcasses of 

 mammals. 



An inhabitant of the whole of Africa lying to the south of the 

 1 l. eur . Sahara desert, the handsomely-colored bird known as the bateleur eagle 



(Helotarsns ecaudatus} differs from the sea eagles, and indeed from all 

 other members of the family, by the extreme shortness of its tail, that appendage 

 being far inferior in length to the wings. A further point of distinction is to be 

 found in the feathers of the head, which are elongated so as to form a voluminous 

 crest. As regards coloration, this bird is perhaps the most striking of all the eagles, 

 presenting bold contrasts of maroon, black, and gray, which give to the entire 

 plumage a most pleasing effect. The head, neck, and under parts are of a deep 

 glossy black, the same hue also obtaining on the scapulars; contrasted with which 

 is the chestnut maroon of the hinder part of the neck and the greater part of the 

 back. The wing coverts are brown with a bronzy sheen; the primary quills 

 blackish, externally shaded with gray; while the secondaries are mostly gray with 



