114 A Description of the Birds 



description was taken from a stuffed specimen, in which the 

 wings were, probably, so disposed as to conceal the color. 



This species is said invariably to build its nest in the most 

 inaccessible positions, and to lay one or two eggs. It is much 

 more common than the last described species, even in the 

 country in which both occur ; and its habitat is far more ex- 

 tended, being about all the mountainous ranges, and even 

 the majority of the detached hills throughout the colony, and 

 the country a long way to the northward of it. 



AQUILA CHOKA. CJwJc of the Colonists. 



A. supra fulvus aut subfulvus fusco variegatus ; infra fulvus 

 pectore et hypochondriis, maculis nigris, longitudinalibus, notatis 

 pedes flavi, ungues nigri. 



Male. Bill livid blue towards base, dark horn colored at 

 tip ; cere yellow ; eyes reddish brown ; front, crown, neck, 

 interscapulars, and back, pale tawny, with here and there 

 brownish variegations ; tail coverts tawny or dirty white ; 

 shoulders varied tawny and dark brown ; scapulars blackish 

 brown, more or less distinctly tipt with reddish white ; pri- 

 mary quill feathers blackish brown, some of them edged on 

 outer vanes with tawny red, and all tipt with reddish white ; 

 secondaries dark dirty brown, narrowly edged and tipt with 

 reddish white ; primary quill feathers black ; secondaries 

 blackish brown on their outer vanes, on the inner grayish 

 variegated by many transverse dark bands; tips of all reddish 

 tawny ; tail rounded, brownish gray, and much mottled by 

 partial indistinct dusky black transverse narrow bands ; tips 

 of feathers all tawny ; under parts tawny with brown varie- 

 gations, particularly numerous on the flanks and anterior 

 part of the belly ; thighs dark ferruginous ; toes yellow ; 

 claws dark horn colored. Length about two feet four inches. 



Female. Color nearly that of the male, and distributed in 

 the same way ; size rather larger. 



Young. Prevailing color chesnut, without any of the brown 

 variegations of the older bird ; feathers of the head and back 

 of neck tipt with light tawny ; tail dirty brownish gray, tipt 

 with reddish white ; cere and toes dull yellow ; claws black ; 

 eyes yellow. 



^ As far as travellers have penetrated, they have found spe- 

 cimens of this bird ; it is pretty abundant all over the colony, 

 and usually resorts to places where carrion exists, to procure 

 its food. When an animal dies it is usually one of the first 

 visitors, and it eats with avidity till the Vultures arrive, 

 when it gives place to them, and remains afterwards a simple 

 spectator. The female builds her nest on trees, but I have 

 had no means of ascertaining the number of eggs she lays. 



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