THE FISHING EAGLE 395 



eye every movement of his prey, until, finally, some unfortunate 

 ' klipdachs venturing forth, he darts upon him like a thunder- 

 bolt. If this rapid attack proves unsuccessful, the bacha slinks 

 away, ashamed, like a lion that has missed his spring, and 

 seeks some new observatory, for he is well aware that no 

 rock-rabbit in the neighbourhood will venture to stroll out 

 during the remainder of the day. 



But if he succeeds in seizing the klipdachs before it has 



time to leap away, lie carries it to a rocky ledge, and slowly 



^ tears it to pieces. The terrible cries of the animal appear to 



j sound like music in his ears, as if he were not only satisfying 



i his hunger but rejoicing in the torments of an enemy. This 



scene of cruelty spreads terror far and wide, and for a long 



time no klipdachs will be seen where the bacha has held his 



bloody repast. 



The Fishing Eagle of Africa {Halicetus vocifer), first noticed 



by Le Vail Ian t, may be seen hovering about the coasts and 



river-mouths of that vast continent. He is never found in the 



interior of the country, as the African streams are but thinly 



stocked with fish, which form his principal food. " Elastic and 



buoyant, this agile dweller in the air mounts to soaring heights, 



scanning with sharp and piercing eye the motions of his prey 



below. Energetic in his movements, impetuous in his appetites, 



he pounces with the velocity of a meteor on the object of his 



wishes, and with a wild and savage joy tears it to pieces. His 



whole sense of existence is the procuring of food, and for this he is 



I ever on the alert, ever ready to combat, to ravage, and destroy."* 



He generally devours his prey on the nearest rock, and loves to 



; return to the same spot where the bones of gazelles and lizards 



! may be seen lying about, a proof that his appetite is not solely 



, confined to the finny tribes. When these birds are sitting, they 



' call and answer each other with a variously-toned shriek which 



! they utter under curious movements of the head and neck. 



While all other raptorial birds croak or shriek, the musical 



Sparrow-Hawk of Africa {Melierca musicus, Gray) pours forth 



his morning and evening notes to entertain his mate while she 



is performing the business of incubation. Every song lasts a 



j minute, and then the hunter may approach, but during the 



f * A. Adams. " Notes of the Natural History of the Islands of the Eastern Archi- 

 I' pelago. Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Sainarang." 



