m 



FALCON. 



3 —BEARDED EAGLE. 



African bearded Eagle, Salt's Trav. p. xli, 

 Nisser werk, Bnice's Trav. app. t, p. 155. 



THIS is a large species, having an extent of ^ving more tlian 

 8ft. The bill dirty brown, with tufts of black hair covering the 

 nostrils, and others of the same on each side of the lower mandible ; 

 and a still larger one, forming a beard underneath ; irides sandy 

 yellow; the outer film, or nictitating membrane, deep bright scarlet; 

 tongue hard, bitid, and fitting exactly in the under mandible. The 

 space round the eye, and in front of it, as well as an angle behind, 

 deep black, giving a bright lustre to the eye. The head covered 

 entirely with small dirty white feathers, which, as well as those of the 

 neck, breast, and belly, are tinged with rusty brown. Feathers on 

 the back, tail, and wings, fine deep glossy brown, with white ribs ; 

 those on the back of the neck standing erect, somewhat like a ruff; 

 tail weclged-shaped, consisting of ten feathers, those of the wing 

 twenty-six. The whole of the body covered with yellow down. 



Found in Abyssinia, and supposed by Mr. Salt, to be the same 

 with the one mentioned by Mr. Bruce, by the name of Nisser werk, 

 met with by hun not far from Gondar. Mr. S. gives it as his opinion, 

 that, notwithstanding the straitness of the bill, usual in the Vulturine 

 ra.ce,^^' the appearance, in the natural state, together with the vigour 

 and animation which it displays, brings it nearer to the eagles, and 

 therefore gives it the name above-mentioned. He observes, that the 

 head of one which he shot differed somewhat from the di*awing given 

 by Mr. Bruce. This last gentleman represents it as a bold species, 

 as it took away the provisions, which he and his friends were regaling 

 themselves wth, before his face, and adds, that a dust, corresponding 



* Mr. Bruce's bird was 4ft. Tin. long, and weighed twenty-two pounds. 



