292 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, 



the whole of" South Africa. The young are of a uniform 

 tawny chestnut colour, and without the brown variations 

 observed on the old." 



At the period of its arrival in the Society's Gardens, 

 the bird had begun to exhibit a dusky colouring on the 

 quill-feathers of the wings, which became in a few 

 months of a dull black, the rest of the plumage still 

 retaining its nearly uniform shade of brown. The 

 change which took place during the succeeding year, 

 and which appears to be still in progress at its close, 

 has introduced a considerable portion of dusky black, 

 spread in patches over the wing-coverts and sides of 

 the neck ; and the brown has become in some degree 

 mottled with different shades on various parts of the 

 body. The beak is at present of a deep black ; as are 

 also the claws, the two outermost of which are small 

 and but slightly arched, while the innermost is much 

 elongated and strongly curved. The gape of the mouth 

 extends backwards to beneath the middle of the eyes, 

 the irides of which are of a bright brown. 



Of the habits of this bird in a state of nature, we 

 know nothing more than is communicated by Dr. Smith 

 in the foregoing extract; but we may perhaps be per- 

 mitted to express a doubt of its feeding habitually upon 

 carrion. In captivity it has, as might be expected from 

 its structure, all the manners of a true Eagle. 



