520 AQUILA 



Hob. Eastern and South-eastern Europe ; North-east Africa ; 

 Asia east to South Eastern Siberia ; Mongolia and China ; in 

 winter visiting Northern India, Assam, and Burma. 



In habits this is a heavy bird, frequenting the Steppes 

 and open country and feeding on small mammals, reptiles, and 

 carrion, sometimes capturing small birds. Its nest, which is 

 invariably placed on the ground, frequently on a low mound, is 

 constructed of twigs and boughs lined with grass, plant-stems, 

 or wool, and the eggs 2, rarely 3 in number, are usually 

 deposited in May, and are white with violet grey shell-markings 

 and deep red surface-spots and blotches, and are as a rule not 

 richly marked though sometimes they are as well and boldly 

 marked as those of A. pomarina. In size they average 2*66 

 by 2-35. 



734. TAWNY EAGLE. 

 AQUILA RAP AX. 



Aquila rapax (Temm.), PL Col. i. livr. 76, pi. 445 (1828) ; Blanf. Geol. 

 and Zool. Abyss, p. 295 ; Dresser, v. p. 513, pi. 341 ; Sharpe. Cat. 

 B. Br. Mus. p. 242 ; A. ncevioides (Cuv.), Kegne Anim. i. p. 326 

 (1829) ; A. albicans, Riipp. Neue Wirbelth., p. 34, pi. 13 (1835) ; 

 von Erlanger J. f. 0. 1898 Taf. vii. 



Sagr cl arneb, Arabic ; Chok. Coo Vogel, in S. Africa. 



<j? ad. (Africa). Head, neck, back, and rump creamy ochreous, sparingly 

 marked with deep brown ; scapulars and wing-coverts- deep brown, with a 

 purplish gloss and blotched with pale ochreous brown ; quills blackish 

 brown, secondaries with obsolete greyish bars on the inner web ; tail deep 

 brown, tinged with grey, the middle feathers obsoletely barred ; under 

 parts warm creamy ochreous, the throat, flanks, and abdomen broadly 

 striped with warm brown ; bill horn-blue ; cere and feet yellow ; iris 

 brown. Culmen 2'5, wing 20'0, tail lO'O, tarsus 3'6 inch. The male is similar 

 but smaller. The adult bird varies from the above to warm rufous brown 

 above and below, the tail and wings blackish brown, and the young bird is 

 pale brownish isabelline, but slightly striated, the quills and tail deep 

 blackish brown, the latter tipped with fulvous. 



Hob. Africa generally, south to the Cape Colony ; Turkey and 

 Palestine ; of doubtful occurrence in south-western Europe. 



In habits it differs but little from its allies and is a some- 

 what heavy bird, preferring carrion, frogs, fish, and even 

 worms, to hunting after larger birds and mammals, but it 

 will capture hares and rabbits, and often robs the sportsman 



