1920.] South African Accipitres. 419 



most of the feiitlieis have dark brown sliaft-streaks and 

 terminal spade-sliaped spots, while a few of the barred 

 feathers of the adult jdumage are ap[)earing on the flanks. 



12. Circaetus pectoralis (Smith). BLiek-breasted Ilarrier- 

 Eajrle. 



I have met with this species on but few occasions. 

 In eastern Pondoland I only once saw a specimen ; in East 

 Griqiialand I shot an immature bird ; and in the South- 

 West Protectorate I saw only one or two examples during 

 my stay. For this reason I cannot say much from personal 

 ob^'crvation with regard to the habits. Those I have seen 

 have usually been [)erched on the top of some large thorn- 

 tree, or else soaring, often at a good height. The crop 

 of the only specimen I ever shot contained the remains 

 of a lizard and a rat. In his uotes on Sliarpe's Cata- 

 logue Gurney very fully discusses the various phases of 

 plumage this species passes through in changing from the 

 juvenile to th(; adult state, and from my observations it 

 would a|)p(uir that the conclusions arrived at by him are 

 correct. I would, however, like particularly to point out 

 what may be considered as the second stage of plumage, 

 in which this species closely resembles the European 

 (J. ijaUicus. This has apparently caused Mr. Austin Roberts, 

 of the Transvaal Museum, to record a specimen of the latter 

 species from South Africa. I have (^xamiued the specimen, 

 and in my oj)inion it is merely an exara[)le of C. pec- 

 toralis in immature |)lumage. Mr. (Jurney has, moreover, 

 drawn attention to a fact which has also struck \\\o, and that 

 is the extraordinary extent to whi(;h the plumage of all the 

 Harrier-Eagles is liable to abrasion before a new moult 

 sets in. 1 have an immature specimen in which the upper 

 surface of the head is white with nai-row dark brown shaft- 

 streaks. This is caused by the entire webs of all the 

 feathers having been worn away, leaving only exposed 

 the dark brown shafts ami the white downy bases of the 

 feathers. 



SER. XI. VOL. II. 2 F 



