58 VULTURINE EAGLE. 



hind-head lengthened into a slight, pendent crest: 

 bill blueish, with black tip; irides bright hazel t 

 craw prominent, and covered with fine, silky, 

 white down: larger quill-feathers black: the smaller 

 and the tail transversely barred with blackish and 

 grey bands: claws black, very strong and crooked. 

 Male similar to the female, but somewhat darker 

 coloured. This is a very fierce and ravenous 

 species, preying on the young of Antelopes, on 

 hares, and other of the smaller quadrupeds, and 

 driving away all other birds of prey from its 

 haunts. It builds its eyry either on very tall 

 trees, or on the points of rocks : the nest is very 

 large and flat, and strong enough to bear the 

 weight of a man : the eggs are two in number, 

 round, and perfectly white. Native of the country 

 of Namaquas. 



VULTURINE EAGLE. 



Falco vulturinus. F. mger, rostro basi subcoeruleo, apice flavor 



pedibusjiavis, cauda rotundata. 

 Black Eagle, with the beak blueish at the base, and yellow at 



the tip, the legs yellow, and the tail rounded. 

 Aigle Caffre. Levaillant. Ois. Afr. pi. 6. Sonnini Buff". 



The size of this species, according to Monsieur 

 Levaillant, is equal to that of the Golden Eagle, 

 and its general colour a deep black, some of the 

 feathers of the back having brownish edges : the 

 bill is very strong and of a pale blue at the base, 

 the tip being yellow: the claws of moderate size, 



