ON ORNITHOLOGY. 429 



III. 



To the Spotted Eagle (Aquila ncevia) I can only devote a few 

 words, as I have but seldom had an opportunity of studying 

 it. It is unobtrusive and not very striking, and therefore 

 often escapes observation, although the whole of our country 

 lies within the area of its distribution. 



In its wanderings, which extend far to the west, it passes 

 through the more western provinces of the kingdom com- 

 monly enough, avoiding the high mountains, for large plains 

 are its special hunting-grounds. 



In Lower Austria, Moravia, and Bohemia it is a regular 

 and tolerably frequent visitor, and if we were to observe 

 more carefully, this interesting bird would be much oftener 

 seen, and it would be possible to give more precise data 

 about its journey ings and the localities in which it takes 

 up its quarters. 



With us the Spotted Eagle only breeds in Galizia, Central 

 and Southern Hungary. In Germany it inhabits the 

 northern and eastern provinces. My own observations of it 

 have been confined to Hungary and Slavonia. I first saw it 

 on the island of Adony, south of Pest : there the bold robber 

 was circling over a heronry, followed by the frightened cries 

 of the old birds. Nowhere did I find it in the great auen 

 south of Mohacs and north of Draueck, for its true dwelling- 

 places are the dry woods among the fields and plains. 



This bird was, as might have been expected, very common 

 in the Keskend wood, which lies to the south-west of Mohacs, 

 and is a few miles distant from the Danube. That is a 

 locality which exactly suits it, as, it is an oak wood of good- 



