81 BONELLI'S EAGLE. 
eggs similar to my figure have been recorded. But De Murs may 
have been deceived, and I have now great pleasure in figuring an egg 
taken from the nest. It occurs in Algeria, South Africa, and Bengal 
as far as Nepaul. 
According to M. Crespon, who seems to have frequently observed 
it in his excursions, it remains in the mountains during summer, and 
in winter descends to the marshes to hunt aquatic birds. When 
disturbed, it rises at once to a great height, and is quickly out of 
sight. Its cry is something like that of the Golden Eagle, but more 
feeble. An individual kept in confinement was very fierce and not 
easily tamed. 
Its food consists of aquatic birds, hares, rabbits, etc. It nests on 
the crevices of rocks, laying two eggs, which are of a reddish brown, 
more or less pale, with the marbling and dots darker. 
I copy the following from the notes of my friend Mr. Savile Reid, 
R.E., now stationed at Gibraltar, where this bird breeds: — 
"A pair of Bonelli's Eagles breed regularly on the eastern side of 
the rock of Gibraltar. This year (1871) the nest was in the perpen- 
dicular face of a cliff not far to the south of the upper signal station. 
The two eggs were hatched about the 15th. of March, and the young 
birds flew about the 20th." 
"These birds made their nest this year (1872) rather more to the 
south (one hundred yards or so) than last year, but about the same 
level in the cliff in another time-honoured niche of theirs. The first 
egg was laid on the 5th. of February (it was the 6th. last year), and 
the two eggs were hatched on the 16th. of March, incubation lasting 
forty days. The eggs are white without spots. I saw an egg in the 
collection of Olcese, of Tangiers; it was of dirty white, rough, but 
with a slight polish." 
"1873, March 3rd. — I observed two pair of these birds hunting over 
the top of the rock on the 3rd. of March. I had not known of the 
existence of more than one pair which bred annually below the Signal 
Station. The four birds passed pretty close to me, and I could not 
have been mistaken. I thought there must be a second nest somewhere, 
either at the north or south end of the rock, but it was not so, the 
extra couple were only visitors. According to the Signal Master of 
the Upper Station, an accurate observer, the male and female relieve 
one another (when sitting) every two hours or so. ]\ T o food is ever 
brought by the bird off duty to the one on the nest. They hunt 
rabbits most assiduously, stooping down upon them from a considerable 
height, carrying them up into the air, and flying about with them for 
some little time before proceeding to eat them. Occasionally they catch 
