254 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



Xest. It builds its large nest in unscaleable trees (Srho))iInir(/k). 



l^gga. UndescribeJ from British (xiiiana. 



Range in BrilisJi Guiana. Mazaruni River [McConnell col- 

 lection) ; Tuarutu and Oanuku Mountains (Schomhiirgh) ; Bartica 

 ( Whiteli/) ; Hoorie C^reek {Beehe). 



EMralimital Range. Colombia, Eastern Peru, Paraguay. 



Ilahits. Schomburgk (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 738) says that this 

 beautiful bird of prey is one of the largest species inhabiting British 

 Guiana. He found it fairly common near the Tuarutu and Canuku 

 Mountains. It was rarer near the coast. He often saw it in the 

 tall trees growing on the river-banks or soar over the woods in a 

 graceful manner. It builds its large nest in unscaleable trees. 

 It preys on the smaller species of monkeys. It raises its crest like 

 the Harpy. 



Mr. J. J. Quelch remarks on this species as follovvs (Timehri 

 (2) vi. p. 148):— "The so-called Crested Eagle {Morjyhnus 

 gnianensis). This species seems to have much about the same 

 distribution in the Colony as the Harpy {Tlirasaetus harpi/ia), 

 being never met with actually in the coast districts — but little 

 or nothino; is known of its habits." 



Genus THRASAETUS Bonap. 



T/irasaetos Bonaparte, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 108. Type T. harpyia (Linn.). 



The chief distinctions in this monotypic genus are the large 

 size, occipital crest, and the distance between the summit of the 

 nostril and the ridge of the culmen being greater than the length 

 of the nostril itself. 



Kil. Thrasaetus harpyia. 



Harpy Eagle. 



Vultitv Itarpuja Linn. Syst. Nat. 10th ed. i. p. SG, 17o8 (Mexico). 

 Thrasaetus harpyia Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mu.^. i. p. 224, 1874 (British 



Guiana) ; Halvin, Ibis, 188G, p. 75 ; Quelch, Timehri (2) iv. p. 327. 



1890 (Berbice Kiver) ; id. op. cit. vi. p. 147, 1892 (Demerara and 



E.ssequebo Bivers) ; Lloyd, op. cit. (2) xi. p. 8, 1897 (habits) ; 



Brabourne & Chubb, B. S. Anier. i. p. 70, no. 648, 191 2. 

 Morphnus harpyia Cab. in Schomb. Eeis. Guian. iii. p. 738, 1848. 

 HarpyhaJiaetus coronatus (nee VieilL), Brown, Canoe and Camji Life, 



p. 239, 187G (Upper Essequebo). 



Adult. General colour above black, the flight-feathers coarsely 

 mottled with brown and grey ; tail black with four mottled grey 

 bands, the tips of the feathers also slightly edged with giey ; toj) 



