FALCON. 143 



64.— NOISY EAGLE. 



Falco albescens, Jnd. Orn. Sup. p. iv. Daud. ii. 45. Skaw Zool. til. 9-3. 

 Aigle blanchard, Levail. Ois. i. pi. iii. 

 Noisy Eagle, Gen. Si/n. Sup. ii. p. 21. 



THIS is about one-third as large as the Martial Eagle— is more 

 elongated, and smaller than most Eagles. The bill pale ; irides and 

 legs yellow ; plumage in general white, soft, and spotted with black 

 Ijrown ; the tail barred with black, but the female more mixed with 

 ]>rownish yellow, especially on the wing coverts. The male has 

 the feathers of the hind-head elongated into a crest ; the female is 

 also crested, but the feathers shorter, though in bulk that sex exceeds 

 the male by one-third ; the tail is rather long, and the wings, when 

 closed, reach to about the middle of it. 



Inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, frequents forests, prefers the 

 largest trees, and has hitherto been only found in the country of the 

 Hottniquas — preys chiefly on the wood pigeon,* from which it first 

 tears the feathers ; sometimes on a small species of antelope, called by 

 the Hottentots JVometjes. The cry consists of several sharp sounds, ; 

 quickly repeated, somewhat similar to cri-qui-qui-qui-qui, and when 

 perched on a tree, spending whole hours in repeating this, though in 

 a tone of voice seemingly weak in proportion to the size of the bird. 

 Tlie nest is for the most part on high trees, and the eggs the size of 

 those of a turkey, two in number, and white — both sexes sit in turn. 



* Le Ramier Rameron— ieeai/. A/r. C. C7. pi. 2o4— or spotted ring pigeon. 



