132 — RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
8. GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE, Aguila clanga (Pallas) ; 
Aquila vittata (Hodgson); A. nevia, part. 
We did not see on an average more than one or twoa 
week, and none that I remember after April. Most writers 
agree that it is only a winter visitant. A pair frequented the 
lake at Rackaba, in company with numerous Marsh Harriers. 
On the 20th of January, Monsieur Filliponi and I were poled, 
about among the reeds which fringe that lake, and he made 
a very long shot at one of them and brought it down. It was 
only winged, and we tried killing it with eax-de-luce, but I 
do not recommend either this or ammonia, though prussic 
acid might do. I believe simple pressure on the breast with 
the thumbs, or with the knee in case of large specimens, is 
the speediest way of killing wounded birds. Mr. S, Bligh 
says a good plan is to tightly press the thumb on the 
trachea just by the roots of the tongue. (See, Ceylon Branch 
of R. A. Soc. trans.) It had a beautiful gloss, which I have 
noticed upon the plumage of other specimens: also on the 
Osprey shot at Mershoom, which was a freshly-moulted 
female. This Eagle was in the immature spotted plumage. 
9. IMPERIAL EAGLE, Aguila mogilnik (Gmel.). 
In the Institute at Alexandria there ‘is a dust-covered 
and most dilapidated Eagle, which I believe is of this species. 
That some of the Eagles we saw in the Delta were also the. 
Imperial I have no doubt; but they are not much addicted 
to the society of man, and we did not get a chance of form- 
ing a near acquaintance with any of them. 
10. OSPREY, Pandion haligetus (Linn.). 
“Mansouri” ice. Conqueror. 
We frequently saw Ospreys on the sand banks—single 
birds, often in the vicinity of Herons or Gulls. Rifle shots 
