BATELEUR EAGLE. ^ 211 



watched one of these birds sitting on some dead tree on the river bank itself, 

 suddenly utter its shrill, clamorous, half croak-like, half scream-like cry, spread 

 out its wings, and sweep across the water in search of winged game on the plains. 

 Rising at first in wide circles, until nearly lost to view, it would gradually descend 

 in similar gyrations, until with a sudden swoop it would dart upon some unfor- 

 tunate partridge or hare, and bear it off in its talons. 



The American white-headed sea-eagle ranges from the frozen regions of Alaska 

 and the Aleutian Islands to the torrid plains of Mexico, although it is only a 

 summer visitant to the more northern portions of its habitat. The nests appear to 

 be similar to those of the European species, and but rarely contain more than a 

 single pair of eggs. Usually situated in tall pines, at a height varying from twenty 

 to one hundred feet above the ground, they may occasionally be found on the 

 ground itself. Captain Bendire states that this bird subsists more on winged game 

 captured by its own exertions than on fish ; and that the accusation of its gaining 

 its subsistence mainly by robbing the osprey is unfounded. Still however, like 

 others of its genus, there is no doubt that it does at times obtain a meal in this 

 comparatively easy manner ; and in some cases it has to depend entirely on fish 

 for its food-supply. A correspondent writes to the author just referred to, that on 

 one occasion he noticed one of these sea-eagles hovering over the sea in a manner 

 very similar to that of the osprey w^hen about to strike a fish. "Suddenly he 

 plunged down and grappled with what I supposed to be a large fish, but was unable 

 to rise with it from the water, and after struggling a while he lay with wings 

 extended and apparently exhausted. After resting a minute or two, he again raised 

 himself out of the water, and I saw he had some large black object in the grasp of 

 one of his talons, which he succeeded in towing along the top of the water toward 

 the shore, a short distance, and then letting go his hold. He was then joined by 

 two other eagles, and by taking turns they soon succeeded in getting it to the shore." 

 The booty was a large cormorant, upon which the eagles were about to feast. It 

 is a remarkable fact, that of the two eggs usually laid by this species, one is always 

 superior in size to the other ; the difference between the two in this respect being 

 sometimes very great. Steller's sea-eagle subsists on young seals, Arctic hares, and 

 foxes, and ptarmigan, but it will also eat dead fish and the carcases of mammals. 



An inhabitant of the whole of Africa lying to the south of the 

 ' Sahara Desert, the handsomely coloured bird known as the bateleur 

 eagle (Helotarsus eeavbdatus) differs from the sea-eagles, and indeed from all other 

 members of the family, by the extreme shortness of its tail, that appendage being 

 far inferior in length to the wings. A further point of distinction is to be found 

 in the feathers of the head, which are elongated so as to form a voluminous crest. 

 As regards coloration, this bird is perhaps the most striking of all the eagles, 

 presenting bold contrasts of maroon, black, and grey, which give to the entire 

 plumage a most pleasing effect. The head, neck, and under-parts are of a deep 

 glossy black, the same hue also obtaining on the scapulars ; contrasted with which 

 is the chestnut-maroon of the hinder part of the neck and the greater part of the 

 back. The wing -coverts are brown with a bronzy sheen; the primary quills 

 blackish, externally shaded with grey ; while the secondaries are mostly grey with 

 white tips, although the innermost have the sooty hue of the scapulars. The tail, 



