166 



ZOOLOGY. 



[PART II 



I. ACCIPITRES. Eagles. The Eagles, however, are 

 small, and as compared with other countries rare ; ex- 

 cept, perhaps, the crested eagle \ which haunts the 

 mountain provinces and the lower hills, disquieting the 

 peasantry by its ravages amongst their poultry ; and the 

 gloomy serpent eagle 2 , which, descending from its eyrie 

 in the lofty jungle, and uttering a loud and plaintive 

 cry, sweeps cautiously around the lonely tanks and 

 marshes, to feed upon the reptiles on their margin. 

 The largest eagle is the great sea Erne 3 , seen on the 

 northern coasts and the salt lakes of the eastern pro- 

 vinces, particularly when the receding tide leaves bare 

 an expanse of beach, over which it hunts, in company 

 with the fishing eagle 4 , sacred to Siva. Unlike its 

 companions, however, the sea eagle rejects garbage 

 for living prey, and especially for the sea snakes 

 which abound on the northern coasts. These it seizes 

 by descending with its wings half closed, and, suddenly 

 darting down its talons, it soars aloft again with its 

 writhing victim. 5 



Hawks. The beautiful Peregrine Falcon 6 is rare, 

 but the Kestrel 7 is found almost universally ; and the 

 bold and daring Goshawk 8 wherever wild crags and 

 precipices afford safe breeding places. In the dis- 

 trict of Anarajapoora, where it is trained for hawking, it 

 is usual, in lieu of a hood, to darken its eyes by means 

 of a silken thread passed through holes in the eyelids. 

 The ignoble birds of prey, the Kites 9 , keep close by the 



1 Spizaetus limnaetus, Harsf. 



2 Haematomis cheela, Daud. 



3 Pontoaetus leucogaster, Gtnel. 



4 Haliastur Indus, Bodd. 



5 E. L. Layard. Europeans have 

 given this bird the name of the 

 " Brahminy Kite," probably from ob- 

 serving the superstitious feeling of 

 the natives regarding it, who believe 

 that when two armies are about to 

 engage, its appearance prognosticates 

 victory to the party over whom it 

 hovers. 



6 Fnlco peregrinus, Linn. 



7 Tiimunculus alaudarius, Briss. 



8 Astur trivirgatus, Tan HI. 



9 Milvus govinda, Sykes. Dr. 

 Hamilton Buchanan remarks that 

 when gorged this bird delights to sit 

 on the entablature of buildings, expo- 

 sing its back to the hottest rays of 

 the sun, placing its breast against the 

 wall, and stretching out its wings 

 exactly a* the IfyypttOH Jfawk is re- 

 presented on their monuments. 



