74 POLIO AETUS ICIITHYAETUS. 



Distribution. — The Fish-Eagle is chiefly an inhabitant of the northern half of the island, frequenting, on 

 the east, the numerous land-locked bays, estuaries, salt lagoons, and large rivers which intersect the coast-line 

 from Elephant Pass to Batticaloa, and on the west, but not so abundantly, similar localities as far south as 

 Chilaw. In such situations as the Jaffna lagoon at its upper end, portions of the Mullaittivu and Cokelai 

 lakes, the Peria Kcrretjc and other large salt lagoons, and the mouths of the Mahawelliganga it is numerous. 

 It is found throughout the whole of the interior of this part of the island, haunting the large tanks at Kanthclai, 

 Minery, Topare, Anaradjapura, and likewise most of the smaller sheets of water, the village tanks of not more 

 than a few acres having generally each their pair of these noisy birds. In the Eastern Province it is tumid 

 on the Rugain, Ambare, and other tanks, and further south occurs, but not so numerously, at the river-mouths 

 as far down as Hambantota. On the western side of the island, to the southward of Chilaw, I have seen it at 

 the head of the Bolgodde Lake, and it is doubtless an inhabitant of the large sheet of water near Amblangoda. 



As regards the mainland, the Bar-tailed Fish-Eagle has chiefly an eastern distribution. I find no 

 record of its being found on the western coast ; and though so common in Ceylon, it appears to be almost 

 unknown in Southern India. Dr. Jerdon remarks, in the ' Birds of India,' "I never observed it myself south 

 of Nerbudda. I saw it frequently in the Saugor territories and in Bengal. It extends to Burmah and the 

 Malay countries." Concerning its locale in the north of India, Mr. Hume writes, in 'Nests and Eggs/ "I 

 have myself never seen a specimen of the Bar-tailed Fishing-Eagle from any locality westward of Nepal, though 

 I have it from Sikhim and Rangoon ; it is the next (P. plumbeus) and not the present species which is so 

 common aloDg the bases of the Himalayas, from Kumaon to Afghanistan." In North-eastern Cachar it is 

 rather rare, but occurs, both there and in the Sikhim Terai, in conjunction with P. plumbeus. In the Tenas- 

 serini provinces it appears likewise to be uncommon, a single locality for it (Paybouk) being given in the 

 " First List " of the birds of that region (' Stray Feathers/ 1874) . It inhabits the coasts of the Malay penin- 

 sula, but does not appear to take the Andaman and Nicobar Islands into its range, as since its supposed 

 occurrence there chronicled by Captain Beavan in 'The Ibis ' for 1867, on Col. Tytler's authority, no speci- 

 mens have ever been met with. In Java, the " Jokowuru " is, according to Horsfield, by no means generally 

 distributed, the only two localities at which this naturalist met with it being " on the banks of the river Kediri, 

 in the eastern district, and the other near the middle of the island, on the hills of Prowoto." It has been 

 procured in Sumatra, Borneo, and Celebes, and probably occurs in all the intermediate islands. 



Habits. — This fine Eagle frequents the borders of wooded estuaries and salt lagoons, the narrow mouths 

 of rivers which are lined with forest, and the shores of inland lakes and tanks. The open coast it rather shuns, 

 leaving the sway over that to its nobler ally the Sea-Eagle. The wild and secluded tanks of the interior are, 

 however, best suited to the habits of this inveterate fish-eater. At these solitary reservoirs, many of them the 

 persevering work of Lanka's ancient kings, the Fish-Eagle is to be found, sitting motionless on the limbs of 

 the noble trees which line the retaining bunds, every now and then calling to its mate with its singular, far- 

 resouuding shout. While the lazy and uncouth crocodile sleeps on the bank beneath, the Eagle overhead 

 eagerly watches its opportunity, with eye intent on some lotus-covered nook, above which hum, in the 

 morning sun, myriads of insects, luring the finny tribes to the surface. On getting sight of a rising fish, the 

 watchful bird launches itself down with a rapid swoop, not pouncing as an Osprey, but raking up the prey with 

 its talons, like the Sea-Eagle. In May and June, when the village tanks of the Vanni are fast drying up under 

 the influence of the parching south-west wind, and one muddy pool, alive with half-dead fish and frogs, is all 

 that is left of the broad December lake, the " Fish-Hawk," in company with a host of Cormorants, Kingfishers, 

 Egrets, and Pond- Herons, spends a prosperous time, and becomes so fat and lazy, that I have seen one fired 

 at with a rifle, from some little distance, refuse to leave his post. In spite of its ample wings, it seldom soars 

 or takes long flights, contenting itself with frequent peregrinations round the tank or lake on which it has 

 taken up its permanent quarters ; but when chased or harassed by the Sea-Eagle, as I have seen it by a pair 

 of these birds which were breeding at Minery, it exhibits considerable adroitness on the wing. It never stoops 

 on its prey with the velocity of either the Osprey or the Sea-Eagle, but glides leisurely over it with outstretched 

 legs. It perches with a very erect pose, and usually, when not watching for fish, seats itself on the top of a 

 tree. Its singular note is one of the characteristic sounds of the forest-begirt tanks in the north of Ceylon. 

 It is a deep, resounding call or " shout," louder than any bird-note in Ceylon, and when heard at intervals 





