THE BIRDS OF THE LUCKNOW CIVIL DIVISION. 9 
41 bis.—Polioaetus plumbeus, Hodygs. 
The Indian Fish Eagle is, of course, only a cold weather 
visitor, and is also exceedingly rare. I mistook it at first for 
the young of ichthyaétus. The only specimen in my possession 
was shot on the Goomti at Lucknow, where I found it alter- 
nately dodging about an ancient mangoe tope and. fishing in 
the shallow parts of the river. It has a heavy owl-like flight, 
and appears to depend more on stealth than activity in captur- 
ing its prey. It has certainly none of the dexterity of the 
Osprey, and is altogether a poor performer on the wing for an 
Eagle that may be said to live entirely on fish. 
42.—Haliaetus leucoryphus, Pall. Native names— 
Macharang, Mardum and Machakool. 
Pallas’ Sea Eagle is a common and permanent resident. 
There is not a jhil of any pretensions in the Division that 
is not frequented by a pair or two of these Eagles, nor a 
river that cannot boast of their presence. Nevertheless it has, 
in my opinion, little title to be considered a Fishing Eagle. It 
seldom, as a rule, attempts to catch the finny tribe, but acts the 
part of a pirate in robbing the Osprey, Kites, Marsh Harriers, 
&e., of their prey, while sportsmen recognise it as the 
poacher who never loses an opportunity of carrying off a dead 
or wounded Duck, often from under their very noses. It 
will feed on almost anything—birds, snakes, rats, frogs, crabs, 
turtles—anything in fact but fish, unless, of course, it can get 
them without much trouble. I may be hard on this otherwise 
magnificent Eagle, but, if so, it is because I have had ample 
opportunities of gauging his capabilities, 
It has, however, at least one virtue—it pairs, I think, for life ! 
It commences to build as early as the beginning of October, 
making its nest on some tall, solitary tree overlooking some 
favorite jhil. The nest is simply a huge platform of sticks, 
occasionally interlaced with rags and snake skins, and is used 
from year to year by the same birds or by their heirs or succes- 
sors. They usually lay in November not more than three eggs, 
but seldom more than two. On the 3rd, 10th, 17th, 26th and 
30th of that month I have found nests containing eggs; on the 
24th and 30th nests containing young; while every nest that I 
have looked at in December was either empty or contained 
young. On not one of the many occasions that I have sent 
men to look at or rob their nests did these Hagles ever show 
fight, though in nine cases out of ten the native climber has 
gone about his work in fear and trembling. 
9 
