FALCON. 243 



183.— THARU EAGLE. 



FalcoTharus, Ind. Orn. i. p. 16. G;n. I.«i. i. 254. Shaw's Zool. vii. 170. Molin. 



Ckil. p. 234. Id. Fr. ed. 244. Daud. ii. p. 41. 

 L'Aigle a Queue blanche. Vol/. d^Azara, iii. No. 10? 

 Tharu Eagle, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. p. 18. 



SIZE of a large Capon. Bill whitish, shaped like that of the 

 common Eagle ; plumage whitish, spotted with black ; on the head 

 a sort of crown, composed of long black feathers, the outer ones the 

 longest; quills and tail black; legs yellow and scaly ; claws hooked. 



The female is smaller, grey, and the crest on the head not so 

 large. Inhabits Chili, and makes the nest in the highest trees, com- 

 posing it of sticks twined together, on which is heaped a large bed 

 of wool, feathers, &c. The eggs, five in number, white, spotted 

 with brown; said to feed both on living and dead animals, but it 

 does not pursue the former, seizing them by lurking, and catching 

 them unawares. The male advances with a stiff neck, and an air of 

 gravity; and when it cries, which it often does very forcibly, it draws 

 the head backwards towards the rump, with the bill upright ; is 

 known in Chili by the name of Tharu. 



That which M. d'Azara calls by this name, does not accord 

 completely with the above description, for it has a white tail, some- 

 what striped above with dusky, and a dusky bar, an inch broad, 

 with the end black for some way ; the bill pale blue, with a dusky 

 point ; irides brown ; legs yellow. 



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