252 Rev. H. B. Tristram on the Ornithology of Palestine. 



by Pallas as Aquila clanga. I found one nest in a tree, between 

 Nazareth and Caiffa. 



Aquila NiEvioiDES (Cuv.). The Tawny Eagle is much more 

 common throughout the year than A. ncsvia, and is much bolder 

 and more familiar in its habits. It almost deserves the name of 

 the parasitic Eagle, from the unscrupulous way in which it pur- 

 sues and robs lesser birds of prey of their booty. It is more 

 abundant in the maritime plains and in the inhabited central 

 country than in the east or south. One nest only rewarded our 

 search. This was in April, on the north side of Mount Carniel. 

 We frequently noticed the Tawny Eagle in the neighbourhood 

 of Damascus and in Coele-Syria, to which region many of the 

 species seem to retire for nidification in the spring. A young 

 nestling was brought to me in April at Jericho, and another at 

 Jerusalem a fortnight later. 



Aquila pennata (Gm.). This elegant little Eagle is by no 

 means common, and is confined, so far as our observation goes, 

 to the northern part of the country. We observed it in Novem- 

 ber near Beyrout, and saw it frequently in the hill country 

 beyond Sidon and Tyre during the following months. Mr. 

 Upcher shot one in the Lebanon in March, but we never ob- 

 tained its nest. It perches on trees rather than rocks. 



Aquila bonellii (Temm.). Bonelli's Eagle is rather com- 

 mon in every part of the country ; but seems to avoid the plains, 

 being much attached to the wadys and rocky terraces with which 

 the country abounds. It perches on some conspicuous point of 

 rock looking out for its prey, and after a short circling excursion 

 will again and again return to the same post of observation, t 

 take it to be more truly a game-killing Raptor than any of the 

 preceding Eagles, and less addicted to carrion-feeding than any 

 of its congeners. The Rock-Pigeons are its favourite quarry in 

 winter, and it preys much on the Turtle-Doves in the Ghor and 

 the plahi of Gennesaret. I have also seen it pursue Kites, ap- 

 parently with the intent of robbing them. Most of the birds we 

 saw were in the adult plumage, but in early spring we noted . 

 several with the ruddy breast of the second year's plumage, 

 which evidently had not paired. It frequents the gardens behind 



