488 



8 



" In the foundation of the Eagle's nest were three nests of Passer hisjianiolensis, one of which 

 contained five, and another six eggs. 



" Manuel had great difficulty in descending, and in one place slipped, unfortunately smashing 

 one of the Eagle's eggs in such a manner that we had to throw it away. These eggs were slightly 

 incubated. 



" During the whole time that Manuel was in the tree, the Eagles circled round above, far 

 out of shot ; but as we were going away the female flew so close that Manuel shot her, which I 

 was sorry for, as I did not wish her to be shot. As it was we did not get her, as she fell into 

 the river and was carried down by the current." 



Usually the eggs of the Booted Eagle are white, with a faint greenish tinge, as described 

 above ; but occasionally they are marked with colour. Lord Lilford figures an egg marked with 

 dull red in 'The Ibis' for 1866; and I possess one specimen collected by him which is spotted 

 with rusty red at one end. Mr. Goebel also (J. f. O. 1872, pp. 457-459) speaks of having found 

 eggs marked with violet spots. I possess nine eggs of the present species, collected by Lord 

 Lilford and myself in Spain and by Dr. Kriiper in Greece, all of which are unspotted, except the 

 one above referred to. 



There has of latter years been no small amount of discussion as to whether there are two 

 species of Booted Eagle in Europe, and as to whether the dark and light birds are really the 

 same species. I have most carefully read all that I can find on record on the subject, and am 

 certainly of opinion that there is but one species, to which both the dark and light varieties 

 belong. That the dark plumage is not an indication of immaturity is clearly proved by the fact 

 that Mr. Howard Saunders possesses two nestlings out of the same nest, the one dark and the 

 other light, the parent birds being also dissimilar, the male being light-coloured and the female 

 dark : but I am utterly unable to agree with Mr. Saunders in the conclusion at which he arrives ; 

 for he says (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xiv. p. 137, 1874) that "the male evidently starts from the 

 nestling stage with light-coloured underparts, and with a plumage almost identical with his adult 

 livery ; whilst the female does not assume the white breast &c. until after one or, perhaps, several 

 moults ;" and he previously states that " there is not on record a single instance of a carefully 

 sewed male with dark brown underparts." Against this view I may state that there are several 

 instances on record of the male bird having dark brown underparts. Mr. H. Goebel (I. c.) states 

 that, of the parent birds belonging to eleven nests he obtained in Southern Russia, four of the 

 males were in the dark blackish brown plumage. Mr. Ludwig Holtz (J. f. 0. 1872, p. 298) says 

 that a male he shot has the breast " blackish brown, the feathers having black shafts and dark 

 brown edgings ; the abdomen blackish brown, with dark brown margins ;" and that there is in 

 the Pesth Museum a male in the brown plumage with the white shoulder-spot very visible, but 

 not so dark as his bird; Mr. Homeyer states (J. f. O. 1872, p. 333) that he obtained a brown 

 male from Lausitz ; and, finally, I have before me a male from the Bosphorus, sexed by M. Alleon, 

 in very dark plumage, the underparts being very dark brown, and another equally dark male 

 shot by Mr. Severtzoff in Turkestan. Mr. Goebel (I. c.) gives a table, with description of eggs, 

 nest, and parent birds belonging to eleven nests, from which it appears that in five instances the 

 female was brown and the male with the underparts white, in two instances the female had the 

 underparts white and the male was blackish brown, in two the female was brownish and the 



