XXXVII. THE GREAT FOREST EAGLE 



WITH the survival of the white-tailed eagle in our own 

 over-populated islands, we may contrast the discovery 

 two years ago of the largest eagle in the world in an 

 island which has almost no inhabitants at all. Mr. 

 John Whitehead, a naturalist who has devoted much 

 time to the exploration of the different islands of the 

 Philippine group, formed, among other collections of 

 birds made in this region, a series of those inhabiting the 

 island of Samar. This collection was lost at sea near 

 Singapore, and in order to replace it and restore the 

 lost link in his chain of examples of * island life ' in this 

 little-known region, he once more set out from Manilla 

 in 1896 and established himself again in the woods of 

 Samar. In doing so he had no other choice than to 

 become one of the inhabitants of the tropical forest. 

 Samar is all forest, and there was no more escape from 

 it than there is from the desert or the steppe for those 

 who elect to travel in Arabia or Central Asia. The 

 great tropical forest which belts the world is very much 



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