32 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



It fell heavily with a broken wing ; but on several 

 " boys," accompanied by a greyhound, running to the 

 spot, it threw itself on its back, gave the dog a wound 

 in the throat with its beak, which narrowly missed the 

 large artery, and placed her hors de combat for the time 

 being, while one of the natives who followed barely 

 escaped a lightning stroke from the claws which would 

 certainly have laid bare the bone of his leg. 



The nest is built in a tree, of rough sticks, and one 

 or two eggs are said to be laid in a clutch. 



The wing measurements of an average bird taken 

 just after death, were sixty-nine inches from tip to tip, 

 and the weight ten pounds six ounces. 



The tawny eagle is of a mottled brown colour above, 

 and tawny chestnut beneath, with yellow legs. It is a 

 relatively short -tailed bird, and so has a rather " stumpy ' ' 

 appearance. It is very fond of hilly country, and is often 

 found in the neighbourhood of isolated rocky outcrops. 

 It attacks all game birds and small mammals up to the 

 size of lambs. Unlike the martial eagle, which, when 

 able to do so, likes to carry its prey off to a tree to devour, 

 the tawny eagle seems generally to prefer making its 

 meal on the ground. It probably destroys a large 

 number of snakes, and I have several times noticed 

 individuals in the act of killing these reptiles. Now and 

 then no doubt the eagle is worsted in such encounters. 

 Ranger de Laporte reported having found one, which, 

 from its appearance, had obviously met its death from a 

 snake's fangs. I think all the larger birds of prey do 

 their part in snake killing and are amongst the most 

 dangerous enemies of these reptiles. 



There are two species of harrier eagles in South Africa, 

 the Black-Breasted Harrier Eagle, and the Banded 

 Harriet Eagle ; both are large and powerful birds, the 



