IV 



FALCONIDAE I 6 I 



Here the crest is extremely long, but in the nearly black Neopus 

 malayensis, ranging from India to the Moluccas, it is much shorter. 

 Spiziastur melanoleucus, extending from Guatemala to Brazil, is 

 brownish-black, with white head, neck, and lower surface, the tail 

 has four darker bands, and black marks shew towards the crest. 

 In this species the inner claw and hallux are greatly developed. 

 Niscwtus pennatus, the " Booted Eagle " of South Europe, Africa, 

 and thence to India and Ceylon, so called from the feathered 

 legs, is brown above, with a white shoulder-patch, white tip to the 

 barred tail, and various buffish markings ; the head, neck, and 

 under parts are fawn-coloured, with brown streaks except on the 

 abdomen. N. fasciatus, Bonelli's Eagle, has a similar range, but 

 reaches China, and not South Africa ; it lacks the shoulder-patch, 

 but is streaked on the abdomen. N. morphno'ides inhabits Australia 

 and New G-uinea, JVi spilogaster and N. lellicosus Southern Africa, 

 the last being slaty-black above, and having a plain brown chest. 

 The typical Eagle, the bird of Jove, the emblem of Eome and 

 of St. John, was some species of Aquila. A. chrysaetus, the Golden 

 or Black Eagle, is exceptionally shot in England in winter 

 especially in the north ; but it is the Sea Eagle that occurs most 

 frequently. In North Britain the former has bred in increasing 

 numbers since protection has been given in deer-forests, where 

 it kills the grouse which startle the stalker's game ; a few pairs 

 remain in North and West Ireland ; while in times past it ranged 

 to the Peak of Derbyshire or even Snowdon. Abroad it occupies 

 most of Europe, North Asia to India and China, North Africa, 

 and North America to Mexico. Powerful and fierce by nature, and 

 ready to attack animals of considerable size, it never molests man 

 under ordinary circumstances ; both parents, it is true, circle anxi- 

 ously round when the young are in danger, but should the nest 

 contain eggs, the hen, which sits closely, vanishes at once on leaving 

 them. She does not reappear until all risk seems past, while the cock 

 is seldom sighted at the eyry, though usually seen in the vicinity. 

 The prey consists of antelopes, wolves, foxes, fawns, lambs, hares, 

 rabbits, marmots, geese, ducks, grouse, and so forth, with carrion, if 

 sufficiently fresh ; the ground is often quartered at a low elevation, 

 and wonderfully rapid in the chase is the flight of this apparently 

 slow and ponderous bird, aided by its extraordinarily keen powers 

 of vision. Solitary individuals may occasionally be approached by 

 stalking, but in Britain they are generally wary, owing to constant 



VOL. IX M 



