4352 Tue ZooLtocist—Marcgu, 1875. 
seems to be scattered all over the world;* the naturalist will meet 
with it whether travelling in Europe, Asia, Africa or America. It 
does not confine itself to the sea-coast, but is found far up the river ; 
anywhere, in short, where its favourite food—fish—can be obtained. 
In size it is not quite so large as the imperial eagle: the colour is 
nearly all white, with the exception of the wings and back, which 
are nearly black; the thighs and belly are of a deep brick-red. In 
January, 1872, a pair of sea eagles visited our neighbourhood: one 
of them alighted on a tree overhanging a small lake, through which 
the river Ifafa flows. We sent a native down to shoot it; he 
fortunately only maimed the bird, whose right wing we found con- 
siderably shattered. It was very savage when taken, lying on its 
back, with its claws extended, defying the Kafir, who was afraid to 
go near it. With some difficulty we secured the eagle, and having 
taken it home amputated the broken wing: it soon recovered and 
became very tame, and being chained to a perch by one of its 
wings remained in the verandah of our house until its death, which 
did not happen until nearly two years afterwards. We used gene- 
rally to feed it on raw meat, but sometimes managed to procure fish: 
the latter it always preferred to any other kind of food. During 
the whole time we had this eagle in captivity, its mate continued to 
haunt the river; and we frequently observed it flying high overhead 
uttering its loud peculiar cry, to which our bird always responded. 
The only trouble we had with this eagle arose from its propensity 
to kill the poultry—any unfortunate fowl happening to come within 
reach of its chain was sure to be devoured. It died very suddenly, 
and was, we believe, poisoned by the natives for the sake of its 
heart, which they hold in high estimation as a love charm. We 
have not yet been able to discover where these birds breed, but 
the Kafirs say they make a large nest of sticks, in which they lay 
two white eggs, of the size of those of a goose. Speaking one day 
to a gentleman ignorant of Ornithology about the birds of this 
* T think the geographical range of this species is not so extensive as my 
correspondents suppose. Andersson pointedly excludes it from the Avifauna of 
Damara-land, not simply by omission, but saying :—‘ This very handsome species is 
not an inhabitant of either Damara or Great Namaqua Land, but is tolerably 
common in the Lake-region and its water-sheds, and also along the course of the 
Okavango.” Mr. Gurney, the able editor of Andersson’s work, adds, “I have not 
personally examined a Damara specimen.” If therefore this eagle is not known in a 
district so comparatively near as Damara-land, we can hardly suppose it to possess 
so extensive a range as indicated above.—JZ. N. 
