206 



Crra&trg of Natural 



size is equal to the Golden Eagle, is a deep 

 black, some of the feathers of the back 

 having brownish edges : the bill is very 

 strong, its tip yellow ; the legs of a dirty 

 yellow, and feathered for three quarters of 

 their length : the tail rounded, and consider- 

 ably shorter than the wings. It feeds prin- 

 cipally on carrion, but will attack sheep, 

 and devour them on the spot. Native of 

 Caffraria. 



CROWNED EAGLE. (Aquila coronata.) 

 This species is about one-third less than the 

 generality of Eagles, but of proportionate 

 boldness and strength. It is a native of 

 Africa, and is said to be principally seen in 

 Guinea. The circles round the eyes are of a 

 deep orange colour ; the fore part of the 

 head, the space round the eyes, and the 

 throat, are covered with white feathers, with 

 small black spots : the hinder part of the 

 head and neck, the back and wings, are of a 

 dark brown, the outer edges of the feathers 

 being lighter : the ridge in the upper part, 

 and the tips of some of the lesser covert- 

 feathers of the wings, are white : the tail is 

 brown, barred across with black, and on its 

 under side appears of a dark and light ash- 

 colour : the breast is of a reddish-brown, 

 with large transverse black spots on the 

 sides : the thighs and legs, down to the feet, 

 are covered with white feathers, beautifully 

 marked with round black spots. The feet 

 and claws are very strong ; the former co- 

 vered with scales of. a bright orange colour, 

 and the latter being black. It takes its 

 name from raising the feathers on the hinder 

 part of the head in the form of a crest or 

 crown. 



The SUPERB EAGLE (Falco superbus) in- 

 habits the vast forests of Guiana, and is dis- 

 tinguished by a kind of pendent naked craw, 

 like some of the vultures. From the tip of 

 the bill to that of the tail is about twenty- 

 five inches : the upper part of the head and 

 the crest are brown : the back and wings 

 brown, with a few transverse tawny bars : 

 and the tail is alternately barred with black 

 and pale brown : the sides of the neck are 

 tawny ; the throat and breast white ; the 

 abdomen white, with transverse black stripes, 

 interrupted by the white ground-colour : the 

 feathers of the thighs and legs are white, 

 striped with black. 



The CHEELA EAGLE. ( Falco Cfieela.) This 

 species is a native of India, where it is called 

 Cheela. It is of a stout make, two feet long, 

 and of a deep brown colour ; but on each 

 side of the head there is a mixture of white : 

 the wing-coverts and thighs are marked 

 with small white spots, and the tail is 

 crossed in the middle by a white band : the 

 bill is blue at the base, and black at the tip. 



The WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. (Halicetusal- 

 bicilla.) This bird inhabits all the northern 

 oarts of Europe, and is found in Scotland 

 and other parts of Great Britain. The beak, 

 cere, and eyes are of a pale yellow ; the 

 sides of the head and neck a pale ash, mixed 

 with reddish-brown : general colour of the 

 plumage brown, darkest on the upper part 

 of the head, neck, and back : quill feathers 



very dark ; breast irregularly marked with 

 white spots ; tail white ; legs of a bright 

 yellow, and claws black. It is strong, and 

 very ferocious. It usually lays two or three 

 eggs, building its nest upon lofty trees. 



The WHITE-HEADED SEA EAGLE. (Hali- 

 cetusleucocephalus.) This distinguished bird 

 is about the size of the Golden Eagle, to which 

 it bears a considerable resemblance ; it is, 

 however, of a lighter colour, and the legs are 

 only feathered a little way below the knees. 

 The bill is large, much hooked, and bluish. 

 A row of strong bristly feathers hangs down 

 from under its lower mandible, whence it 

 has sometimes been termed the Bearded 



(EALIAETDS LFTJCOCEPHAI.UP.) 

 Eagle. It preys chiefly on fish, which it 

 seizes by darting down upon them while 

 swimming near the surface : it also occa- 

 sionally preys on birds and other animals. 

 The American variety is superior in size to 

 the European ; frequenting the neighbour- 

 hood of the sea, and the shores and cliSs of 

 lakes and large rivers, which localities he 

 prefers, from his great partiality for fish. 

 Wilson, the American ornithologist, thus 

 picturesquely describes this powerful bird : 

 "Elevated upon a high, dead limb of some 

 gigantic tree, that commands a wide view of 

 the neighbouring shore and ocean, he seems 

 calmly to contemplate the motions of the 

 various feathered tribes that pursue their 

 busy avocations below the snow-white gulls 

 slowly winnowing the air ; the busy tringce, 

 coursing along the sands ; trains of ducks, 

 streaming over the surface ; silent and watch- 

 ful cranes, intent and wading ; clamorous 

 crows, and all the winged multitudes that 

 subsist by the bounty of this vast liquid ma- 

 gazine of nature. High over all these hovers 

 one, whose action instantly arrests all the 

 Eagle's attention. He knows him to be the 

 fish-hawk, settling over some devoted victim 

 of the deep. His eye kindles at the sight, and, 

 balancing himself with half-opened wings on 

 the branch, he watches the result. Down, 

 rapid as an arrow from heaven, descends the 

 distant object of his attention, the roar of 

 its wings reaching the ear as it disappears in 

 the deep, making the surges foam around. 

 At this moment the eager looks of the Eagle 

 are all ardour, and, levelling his neck for 

 flight, he sees the fish-hawk once more emerg- 

 ing, struggling with his prey, and mounting 

 in the air with screams of exultation. These 

 are a signal for our hero, who, launching into 

 the air, instantly gives chase ; soon gains on 

 the fish-hawk ; each exerts his utmost to 



