IMPERIAL EAGLE. 61 
greedily upon raw meat, preferring it to birds or ani- 
mals, either dead or living. It is very sluggish and 
imactive even when urged by hunger. It generally 
drinks a gulp or two of water after eating. The only 
cry I have heard it utter is a harsh croaking.” 
Our figure of this egg is from a drawing sent me 
by M. Moquin-Tandon, with the following remarks:— 
“T bought this egg of a Paris Merchant in 1837. 
Great diameter seven cents two milles, (two inches and 
seyen eighths,) little diameter five cents one mille, (two 
inches.) Surface rather rough; ground-tint heavy white, 
scarcely azured, and shaded with dirty russet. Schinz 
has given a representation of this egg, pl. 37, fig. 2, 
yery exact in size, form, and colour. Thienemann (pl. 
46,) has given a drawing of good size but too white 
in colour—probably a variety.” 
The Rey. H. B. Tristram, in his “Catalogue of Eggs 
for 1857,” says of this bird:—This rare and magnificent 
bird appears to prefer the forests to the cliffs for the 
purpose of nidification. It occurs very sparingly in 
Algeria, but is well known to the Arabs as distinct 
from the Golden Eagle. The eggs seem scarcely ever 
to have any but the faintest clouding, or a few obsolete 
spots.” 
The adult male and female have the plumage gen- 
erally of a rich glossy blackish brown, darker below, 
except on the abdomen, which is reddish. There is a 
large conspicuous white spot on the scapulary feathers. 
The vertex, occiput, and nape of a lively red. Tail 
iregularly waved with ashy grey; iris whitish yellow. 
Young birds are more variegated with russet, and 
the white mark on the scapularies indistinct. Iris light 
brown; toes livid yellow. 
There are specimens in the Norwich Museum. 
