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side of the bird; but judging from this, I should say that the entire undersurface is pure white, except 

 that the feathers on the throat and upper part of the crop have very narrow shaft-marks, not wider 

 than the shaft itself; about four or five feathers on the side of the crop have the brown shaft-mark 

 spreading a little on to the webs of the feather, and one single feather on the flank has a brown semi- 

 circular mark." 



The Short-toed or Serpent-Eagle inhabits Central and Southern Europe, Northern Africa and 

 India, and has been recorded from as far east as the island of Timor. 



It has not occurred in Great Britain or Scandinavia, but is tolerably widely distributed 

 throughout the continent of Europe. Commencing in the eastern portion, I find it in Central 

 Russia. Mr. L. Sabanaeff records it, on the authority of Daniloff, as often met with during 

 migration in the Government of Orloff. It breeds at Litva and in the district of Serdobol, in 

 the Government of Saratoff ; but Professor Bogdanoff has not met with it on the banks of the 

 Volga. Meves did not meet with it in Northern Eussia ; nor has it occurred in Finland. 

 Borggreve says that it is a rare though tolerably widely distributed species in North Germany 

 during the summer, but is very rare in the north-western portion, as he only refers to one 

 specimen having been obtained in the Liineburg district. Mr. A. von Homeyer records it from 

 the Pfalz, Prince Max von Wied from Westerwald ; and it occurs in Pomerania and also in Ober- 

 Lausitz, where it is seen regularly, and breeds not unfrequently. Gloger speaks of it as not 

 uncommon in Silesia during the summer ; Borggreve himself saw it in Upper Silesia ; and Boeck 

 records it from Prussia. According to Dr. Bey, an old female was killed in the Burgholz, near 

 Halle, in October 1857. 



In Belgium it is of very rare and accidental occurrence ; and De la Fontaine says the same 

 as regards Luxemburg ; but in France it is said by Degland and Gerbe to be tolerably abundant 

 throughout the country, especially in Anjou and Dauphine, where it is resident ; and Jaubert 

 and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye speak of it as being the most common species of Eagle in Provence. 

 Professor Barboza du Bocage includes it in his list of birds found in Portugal ; and it occurs 

 commonly in Spain. Major Irby informs me that it is plentiful in Andalucia; and Mr. Howard 

 Saunders (Ibis, 1871, p. 60) states that it is "abundant in winter in the marshes, and by far the 

 commonest breeder in the wooded districts" of Southern Spain. Lord Lilford writes to me as 

 follows: — "The Serpent-Eagle is common, but not, according to my observation, by any means 

 the most common Eagle in Southern Spain. I cannot say whether it is a constant resident, or a 

 spring visitor to the country ; but at all events it breeds in Andalucia, notably in the Cotos so 

 often mentioned, on the right bank of the Guadalquivir. I have met with this species in Old 

 and New Castile and Catalonia, besides, as above mentioned, in Andalucia, as also in Corfu, the 

 island of Sardinia, and near Tunis. It is occasionally met with near Genoa, whence I am now 

 writing ; and I have received a specimen from Borne." 



It is said to breed in Savoy, where, however, it is very rare ; but Salvadori considers it 

 tolerably abundant in Tuscany and in the Boman Campagna, in which districts it breeds, but few 

 remain during the winter. About Modena it is, according to Professor Doderlein, extremely 

 rare, although somewhat more numerous round Bologna. The same excellent authority states 

 that it is generally distributed throughout the island of Sicily. Cara says that one of three 

 specimens in the Museum at Cagliari was shot in that neighbourhood ; but Salvadori (J. f. O. 



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