THE CB'ET 215 



On one occasion I saw a small civet captured 

 and carried off bodily in the talons of a large eagle 

 of whose identity I was at the time xmcertaia, but 

 which must have been a crested martial eagle 

 similar to the one already mentioned in my re- 

 marks relative to the cheetah. The bird paid 

 not the smallest attention to my tent or to my 

 native carriers and others grouped about. I first 

 noticed it hovering ia wide circles over the camp 

 well out of gun-shot, and some time afterwards 

 marked it down to the branches of a large feathery 

 albizzia tree not more than 150 yards away, 

 where the whitish hue of the breast feathers 

 rendered it rather a tempting mark for a small- 

 bore rifle bullet. I resisted the mturderous im- 

 pulse, however, and was lazily watching the great 

 bird through my field-glasses when it suddenly 

 leaped from its perch and darted through the air 

 right past me to a piece of bare ground some Uttle 

 distance in rear of the camp. What took place 

 there I was not able to see, but in. a few seconds 

 the eagle rose from the ground bearing something 

 fairly bulk}- which still appeared slightly to writhe 

 in the powerful talons, and which I made out with 

 the aid of my glasses to be a small civet — ^indeed 

 the animal's spots and tail rendered him un- 

 mistakable. It is very curious how obHvious of 

 their surroundings certain great birds of prey 

 become when they perceive good cheer at hand. 

 I have had several opportunities of observing this 

 pecuharity, which I will deal with in a later 

 chapter. 



I possess rather an uncommon motor rug, which 



