578 



Mr. Hiittenhacker, in April 1862, in the Maxhofer district, near Purglitz, and the second 

 near Neustrachic. One of these specimens Dr. Fritsch examined, and he describes it as being 

 in immature plumage. Mr. Hudleston observed it on the Lower Danube ; but Messrs. Elwes 

 and Buckley did not meet witb or hear of it in Eastern Turkey. It appears to be extremely 

 rai-e in Southern Russia, as Von Nordmann only cites a single instance of its occurrence near 

 Odessa. According to Sabanaeff a small Long-tailed Eagle has been observed in the Ufa Ural, 

 which he thinks may probably be the present species. Menetries does not include it in his 

 catalogue of the birds inhabiting the Caucasus ; but Canon Tristram met with it in Palestine, 

 and writes (Ibis, 1865, p. 252) as follows : — " Bonelli's Eagle is rather common in every part of 

 the country, but seems to avoid the plains, being much attached to the wadies and rocky 

 terraces with which the country abounds. It perches on some conspicuous point of rock looking 

 out for its prey, and after a short circling excursion will again and again return to the same post 

 of observation. I take it to be more truly a game-killing Eaptor than any of the preceding 

 Eagles, and less addicted to carrion feeding than any of its congeners. The Rock-Pigeons are 

 its favourite quarry in winter ; and it preys much on the Turtle Doves in the Ghor and the plain 

 of Gennesaret. I have also seen it pursue Kites, apparently with the intent of robbing them. 

 Most of the birds we saw were in the adult plumage ; but in early spring we noted several with 

 the ruddy breast of the second year's plumage, which evidently had not paired. It frequents 

 the gardens behind Sidon and Jaffa, but is more generally found in the wooded hill-region about 

 Carmel, Tabor, and the Lake of Galilee, from which places we procured the eggs in April, as 

 well as two nests of one egg each in the neighbourhood of Girach, east of the mountains of 

 Gilead. It does not appear to lay till the end of March, and then generally a single egg. These 

 are either white, or with the faintest russet spots. One nest, which contained two eggs both 

 fairly coloured, baffled all our attempts at its capture. It was comfortably placed under an over- 

 hanging piece of rock near the top of the cliffs of Wady Hamam, in such a position that no 

 rope could be thrown over to let down an adventurous climber; and yet from another point, 

 which projected nearly parallel to it, we could look into the nest with longing eyes. The old 

 birds seemed perfectly aware of the impregnability of their fortress." 



It occurs in North-east Africa ; but the different authors do not agree as to its being rare or 

 otherwise. Captain Shelley writes (B. of Egypt, p. 206) that he never met with it in Egypt or 

 Nubia. Von Heuglin obtained a single specimen in winter, and says that it is not common in 

 autumn, winter, and spring at the lakes in Lower Egypt. Antinori, however, speaks of it (J. f. O. 

 1866, p. 121) as being rare in the northern portion of Central Africa, but common in Egypt and 

 Nubia; he saw two specimens obtained near Cairo, and shot one himself on the Blue Nile. It 

 is also stated by Keyserling and Blasius to inhabit Arabia; and Mr. Wyatt says (Ibis, 1870, 

 p. 11) that it is " occasionally seen in the mountainous parts of the Sinaitic peninsula." 



In North-western Africa it is much more common than on the eastern side, and is said by 

 Loche to be common in Algeria; and Mr. Taczanowski, writing respecting its occurrence in 

 Algeria, says :— " It is repeatedly met with in the mountains, still oftener in the desert. It 

 gives chase to hares and houbaras, of which we were more than once eye-witnesses. Once, in 

 the neighbourhood of the desert-forest of Sada, we saw, in company with Count Alexander 

 Branicki, a female pounce upon a hare (Lepus isahellinus), killing it immediately, so that a male 



