86 THE BOOK OF BIRDS 



one : at last news was brought to liim that one of these 

 Eagles had built in the neighbourhood. " The nest," he 

 says, "was situated in an isolated rocky crag, perhaps 

 one hundred feet in height, in the middle of a plain. As 

 we approached, guided by two goat-herds whose flocks 

 were grazing near by, a Bonelli's Eagle flew ofi", revealing 

 her nest high up near the summit. 



" Making a long detour by means of a narrow slipjDery 

 goat-track, we came out at the back, and then clambered 

 along the top from one great boulder to another until we 

 were immediately over the nest. Then craning our necks 

 over the edge we could see below us a great flat nest in 

 which was a large single egg." 



The late Prince Rudolph of Austria, who had a wonder- 

 ful eye for recognising birds, only saw it twice in Spain ; 

 once was when he was " riding along the fortifications on 

 the slope of the Rock of Gibraltar. It flew low over us, 

 and was a beautifully coloured old bird, with dark back 

 and wings, and pure white underparts. I was told by the 

 English officers that its nest was situated on a cliflf that 

 fell abruptly down to the sea, and that it had for years 

 been protected from all pursuit. 



" On reaching the highest point of the Rock I was shown 

 the eyrie. It was on a projecting part of a very high 

 clifl"." He could see down into the nest. "It was made 

 of branches, broom, and grass, and the two almost fully- 

 fledged nestlings that it contained were hopping about 

 lustily and clambering to the edge of it with outstretched 

 wings." He was told that it was the only nest of this bird 

 on the Rock. 



There is an Eagle which belongs to India and Malaya 

 which is called the BIRD-NESTING EAGLE, from its 

 habit of hunting for, and feeding upon, young birds and 



