Ceylon Ornithology. 155 



Falco dimidiatus, Raffles. 

 Falco albicilla, var. Latham. 

 Ichthyaetus cultrungis, Blyth. 

 Haliaetus sphenurus, Gould. 



Head 3 neck, and abdomen white. Back and wings ashy 

 brown, primaries nearly black; most part of the inner web of 

 secondaries white. Anterior two-thirds of tail dark brown, 

 the rest white. Upper tail coverts brown, slightly tipped 

 with white; lower white throughout; shorter lower wing 

 coverts white, with a few ashy splashes; longer ones ashy 

 brown. Thighs white. Tarsi and two toes yellow, claws 

 black. Bill bluish. Length 3 feet 5 inches. Wing 1 foot 

 9 inches. 



This is the largest of our Ceylon Birds of prey, common on 

 the Northern Coasts, rarely seen on the South -Western parts 

 of the Island; very abundant at the Salt lakes of Hambantotte, 

 and the Bay of Calpentyn. Mr Layard writes, "In fact, 

 wherever there is much shallow salt water, particularly if the 

 receding tide leaves bare a large extent of mud, there will this 

 Sea Eagle be found fishing in company with Haliastur Indicus 

 and Milvus Govinda. Unlike them, however, the Fish Eagle 

 prefers living prey to garbage, and is particularly destructive 

 among the sea snakes, which are very abundant in the sea 

 between Point Pedro and Point Calamanar on the opposite 

 coast. We have frequently seen this bird capturing its prey. 

 It keeps soaring very high, and then descends very rapidly, 

 with its wings half closed and upraised, its legs pendant, and 

 its body swaying to and fro, like the weight attached to a 

 parachute. When close to the object of its pursuit, the legs 

 are suddenly darted out, the prey seized near the head, the 

 fall arrested, and without touching the mud or water, the 

 noble bird soars upwards with its victim writhing in its claws. 

 If it fails to kill the eel or snake when on high, the booty is 

 dropped, and we have often secured a good specimen of marine 

 snake from this mishap of the bird." 



