FALCON ID^:. 1 3 



feathered to the toes. Length, 2' 11" ; wing, 1' 9"; (ail, 1' 3". 



Lo Yaillant says it preys cm small quadrupeds, builds en lofty trees, 

 and lays two eggs. 



One specimen of this bird has falleu under my notice, shot by Mr. 

 G-. Rex, at the Knysna. I know uothfog of its habits or range. 



15. SpizaetUS BelliCOSUS. (Daud.) Falco 

 3. Armiger, Shaw ; Aquila Bellicosa y A. Smith ; S. A. 

 * L Zool., p. 144. ; and Illust. S. Af. Zool. Av., PI. 42. ; Le 

 Griffard, Le V., PL 1. 



GENERAL colour above chest and neck dark grey-brown ; 

 beneath white, spotted with very dark-brown ; thighs barred 

 with the same ; large wing-feathers, dark-brown ; the lesser 

 ones and tail transversely barred with grey. Talons black, 

 much curved and strong ; legs feathered to the toes. Length, 

 2' 7" ; wing, 1' 11" ; tail, 12". 



According to Le Vaillant, this species feeds on small antelopes, 

 hares, and gallinaceous birds, frequents forests, builds in lofty trees 

 or rocky peaks ; nest very strong, large, and flat ; lays two round eggs, 

 perfectly white. 



It is very scarce in the colony, only two specimens having fallen 

 under ray notice. One was procured at the Knysna by Mr. George 

 Rex, the other at Colesberg by Mr. Arnot. It is of this species that 

 Mr. Atmore writes, in epistold : " Just as we were leaving the Knysna, 

 we heard of an eagle's nest in the forest, and under the tree the person 

 who found it counted 95 heads of the little ' Blue Buck ' (Cephalopus 

 Ccerula)." Mr. Tom Atmore informs me the tree was an enormous 

 " yellow-wood," quite inaccessible ; and the nest a huge mass of sticks 

 impervious to a bullet. The Hon'ble Mr. Vigne informs me that one 

 of these birds attacked his sheep-kraal and killed the lambs. It was 

 ultimately caught in a steel-trap placed near the kraal. 



16. Spizaetus Occipitalis. (Daud.) Vol. IL, 



*V P. 40 ; Shaw, Vol. 7., p. 59 ; Falco Senegalemis, Daud. ; 



Morphinus Occipitalis, Cuv. ; Smith, Af. Zool., p. 148. 

 UPPER parts glossy-brown, approaching to black ; darkest on 

 extremities of wings and tail, and lightest on the shoulders 

 and cheeks. Tail barred more or less faintly with white 

 on the upper side ; wings with black. Head crested ; crest- 

 feathers very long, and nearly black ; feathers of head 

 minutely tipped with white. Under parts almost black ; legs 

 feathered to the toes, and pure white ; inside of quill feathers 

 of wings and tail silvery-grey ; barred with deep-brown. 

 Length, 25"; wing, 16"; tail, 9" 9'"; length of crest, 5" 6"'. 



Mr. Atmore, to whom I am indebted for the only specimen I have 



