EAGLES. 77 



the legs feathered to the toes, includes some of the best known Birds 



O * 



of Prey such as the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetus) (890), ranging over 

 Europe, N. Asia, and N. America, the Imperial Eagle (A. heliaca) (891), 

 and its Spanish ally (A. adalberti) (893), the Spotted Eagle (A. maculattf) 

 (892), Verreaux's Eagle (A. verreauxi) (894), and the Great Wedge-tailed 

 Eagle of Australia (Uroaetus audax] (895), which forms a connecting 

 link between the true Eagles and the Lsemmergeiers. The Golden Eagle 

 still breeds in some numbers in the highlands of Scotland and in Ireland, 

 and the Spotted Eagle is an occasional straggler to our shores. The 

 immature Golden Eagle has a large amount of white on the basal half of 

 the tail-feathers, and is often mistaken for the young of the Sea Eagle, 

 a very different species [see Case 51]. 



Next in order come the Rough-legged Buzzards, or Buzzard-Eagles as [Case 50. j 

 they have been called (Archibuteo) , represented by A. lagopus (896), 

 which ranges over Europe and Siberia to Alaska, and its N. American 

 ally (A. sancti-johannis] (897), the former being a fairly common 

 autumn visitor to Great Britain. The llufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle 

 (Lophotriorchis kieneri) (898) is a remarkably handsome crested form 

 from India and the Indo-Malayan countries, and it is interesting to note 

 that another species of the genus is a native of North-western South 

 America. 



The Booted Eagle (Eutolmaetus pennatus) (899) and Bonelli^s Eagle 

 (E. fasciatus] (900) , both from Southern Europe and India, are well- 

 known birds ; and a very striking African ally, the Black-crested Eagle 

 (Lophoaetus occipitalis] (901), is also shown. The Bird-nesting Eagle 

 (Ictinaetus malayensis) (902), inhabiting the Indo-Malayan countries, 

 spends most of its time on the wing hunting for nests and lives entirely 

 on eggs and young birds. It not infrequently carries off nest and all 

 in its talons, and examines the contents as it sails lazily away. 



Other allies are the Hawk-Eagles (Spizaetus and Spiziastur} (903- [Case 50.] 

 907)^ represented by four species of which the finest is undoubtedly the 

 magnificent Crowned species (S. coronatus) (904) from Tropical Africa. 

 All the remainder of the Aquilincs belong to the bare-legged section with 

 the tarsus unfeathered. The African Buzzard-Eagle (Asturinula mono- 

 gramntica) (909) and the Laughing Hawk (Herpetotheres cachinnans] 

 (908) are among the smaller members, the former, like the Chanting 

 Goshawk already mentioned above, being remarkable among Birds of 

 Prey for its mellow whistling. 



At the foot of this Case will be found the Short-toed Eagle (Cir- Case 51. j 

 caetus gallicus) (911) of Southern and Central Europe, etc., and several 

 species of Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis), the crested form (S. cheela) (914) 

 of India being a specially handsome bird. As their name implies, both 

 these and the Short-toed Eagles feed principally on snakes and other 



