556 



AMKRICAN FORESTRY 



Whitehead, the famous traveler and collector, obtained 

 the type specimen in the forests of Samar during his 

 travels in the Philippines in 1894-97. 



Probably the vernacular name of Monkey-eating Eagle, 

 which has been bestowed upon this bird, will be univer- 

 sally adopted, and carried from now on in popular and 

 scientific works on ornithology. In passing, it must be 

 noted here that Mr. Whitehead has, in one place or an- 

 other, referred to the "Great Philippine Eagle," a name 

 in some respects more acceptable than the one mentioned 

 above. Then, too, it is now a well-known fact that this 

 bird does not always confine itself to a monkey diet, but 

 will, when from any cause monkeys are scarce, resort 

 to the yards of the natives, and make off with an occa- 

 sional small pig or some of the poultry. This has hap- 

 pened so often that the natives now regard this especially 



Smith, F. Z. S., M. B. O. U., which appeared in The 

 Ibis (Lond.) for 1910, p. 285 ; papers are cited in it which 

 will enable one to locate and consult the few articles that 

 have been written, up to the present time, on the discovery 

 and life history of this remarkable bird. Through the 

 same source one may also find the various arts and col- 

 ored plates that have appeared figuring Pithecophaga, and 

 one of these illustrate the article just cited, having been 

 produced by H. Gronvold. It is, however, difficult to 

 believe that the eagle appeared en face as is there shown 

 on page 290, where both eye and eyelids face directly to 

 the front, as we find them among typical owls. 



I am told that Captain Joseph Clemens published a 

 photograph of a Monkey-eating Eagle in the Condor, 

 with its history, but that the picture is a very indifferent 

 one. In this article the author says : "I have since skinned 



HEAD OF THE MONKEY-EATING EAGLE OF THE PHILIPPINES THE LARGEST OF LIVING BIRDS OF PREY 



Fig. 11 Combined drawing and photograph of the right lateral aspect of the head of Pithecophaga jeffcryi. By the author from the specimen sent 



him from the Bureau of Science, Manila; natural size. 



handsome and powerful raptorial robber as an enemy, 

 and as a consequence rejoice whenever one is captured 

 or killed. 



On account of the mountainous character of the coun- 

 try and the great density of the forests where this eagle 

 is found, it is no easy task to either find or collect speci- 

 mens of them ; therefore but few skins or mounted ex- 

 amples occur in museums in any country probably less 

 than eight or ten. We have one here in the mounted 

 collection of the United States National Museum, re- 

 ceived from Mr. Fletcher L. Keller, of Davao, Mindanao. 

 Several of the others are mentioned by Mr. D. Seth- 



and have in my collection another specimen, and in this 

 one I found a monkey not yet digested. The paws were 

 torn off and swallowed whole, then the next joint, and 

 so on. It was eaten hair and all. 



"Mr. Richard C. McGregor refers to these two speci- 

 mens in The Journal of Science for October, 1907, and to 

 a third specimen procured by Mr. Ickis, Geologist of the 

 Bureau of Science, on May the nth, 1907. This was 

 apparently the first that was recorded from the Island of 

 Luzon. The head, one wing and foot only were brought 

 to Manila." 



On the 17th of April, 1918, Mr. McGregor sent me 



