THE SPOTTED EAGLE. 137 



being bent slightly downwards, not upwards, when gliding or circling 

 and larger size. Note resembling barking of a high-voiced small 

 dog. Haunts woodlands and open country like marshes and steppe. 

 (E.H.) 



Breeding-habits. — -Haunts forests, steppes and marshes, breeding 

 in trees, and probably also on ground in steppe districts. Nest. — 

 Large, built of sticks, turf, etc., and lined dead grasses and twigs. 

 Eggs. — 2-3 (but material unsatisfactory owing to confusion with 

 A. n. orientalis and A. pomarina) white, sparingly spotted and 

 blotched with red -brown and a few ashy shell-marks. Average 

 of 56 eggs, 68.2x54.1. Max.: 74.6x55'.6 and 74.4x58. Mm. : 

 64 .4 X 52 .8 and 67 .2 X 51 .2 mm . Breeding -season . —Latter half April 

 to early Majr. Incubation. — No reliable information. 



Food. — Llabbit, water-rat and Partridge have been recorded from 

 birds killed in British Isles, but in natural haunts main food consists 

 of frogs, fish, snakes, lizards, small mammals (voles, mice, Lagomys, 

 etc.), and an occasional wounded or surprised bird. 



Distribution. — England and Ireland. — Verv rare vagrant. Eng- 

 land.— Cornwall, *Dec, 1860; *Nov., 1861. Hants., Dec, 1861. 

 Lanes., 1875. Northumberland, * Oct., 1885. Essex, *Oct. and Nov., 

 1891 ; April, 1908. Suffolk, *Nov., 1891 (one shot and one seen). 

 Hereford, *Nov., 1915. Ireland. — Two near Youghal (Cork), Jan., 

 1845. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — From shores of Baltic (Livland) east to 

 Turkestan, south Siberia, north India, and China, and south to 

 Balkan Peninsula and Palestine. On migration to north-east Africa, 

 and India to Burma, casual in west and south Europe. 



Genus BUTEO Lacepede. 



Buteo Lacepede, Tabl. method. Ois., p. 4 (1799 — Type by tautonymy : 

 buteo, i.e. Buteo buteo.) 



Closely allied to Aquila, but weaker birds . Bend of bill sharper 

 and shorter, nostril with straighter upper edge and somewhat 

 longitudinal in horizontal direction. Only four outer primaries 

 sharply emarginated, 5th less distinctly. Tarsus bare, in Rough- 

 legged Buzzard feathered, but bare at back. About forty forms in 

 all continents and many islands. Eggs spotted, greenish if held 

 against light. 



Key to species of genus Buteo. 



Tarsus bare in front' B. buteo, p. 141 



Tarsus in front feathered to toes B. lagopus, p. 138 



* The only British taken example we have examined is the Hereford 

 bird now in the British Museum. This bird is A. clanga, as were no doubt 

 the others marked with an asterisk. The remaining ones should be critically 

 examined if possible. For details see Brit. B., vol. xiv. pp. 180, 209. 



