KISAETUS FASCIATUS. 179 



noticed beyond an almost imperceptible quivering ; but the legs 

 and feet are continually shifted as if used to balance the bird. 

 When not breeding, they hunt together, one high above the 

 other, suddenly stooping down on some luckless rabbit or else 

 gliding off to take up a fresh aerial station whence to watch for 

 their prey, which seems to be always taken on the ground. 

 They feed chiefly on rabbits, but have taken poultry away from 

 the signal-station ; and Sergeant Munro informs me that one of 

 the Eagles once struck at and seized his cat, but let it go after 

 cutting its back open and drawing blood. 



At Gibraltar, in February, I watched two Eavens for a long 

 time bullying one of these Eagles, which now and then made a 

 futile dash at his tormentors, but at last turned tail, leaving the 

 Ravens masters of the situation. On another occasion, in the 

 same month, I saw a Bonelli's Eagle flying about not far from 

 the Osprey's nest, when down swooped an Osprey, like a stone, 

 striking the Eagle on the back and knocking out a lot of 

 feathers. Shrieking out, they were bound together for a few 

 seconds, and then separated, neither apparently the worse for the 

 encounter, and each flying off towards their respective eyries. 

 They were so close as to be within easy shot when they " collided." 

 A young bird about a month old was bought from a Moor at 

 Tangier, and sent to me on the 18th of April ; but it was so 

 wild and savage that I thought it would kill itself, and all that I 

 have since seen alive have been equally so. 



The fully adult birds have a white patch on the back between 

 the wings ; and when viewed from above this mark is very 

 apparent and will at once identify the species ; when below them 

 the white appearance of the underparts and their very powerful 

 gliding flight distinguish them. To a novice they mostly resemble 

 the Osprey when on the wing ; but the latter has a more flapping 

 flight and shows its whitish head. 



The tarsus, feathered to the feet, is very long for the size of 

 the bird, the thigh being still longer in proportion. 



N2 



