Chap. VIII.] 
EAGLES. 
245 
this name ; but it utters a cry resembling the word mat- 
Jciang! which in Singhalese means, "I will complain!" 
This they believe is addressed by the bird to the rising 
sun, imploring redress for its wrongs. The avitchia is 
described as somewhat less than a crow, the colours of 
its plumage being green, mingled with red. 
But of all, the most astonishing in point of multi- 
tude, as well as the most interesting from their endless 
variety, are the myriads of aquatic birds and waders 
which frequent the lakes and watercourses ; especially 
those along the coast near Batticaloa, between the 
mainland and the sand formations of the shore, and the 
innumerable salt marshes and lagoons to the south of 
Trincomalie. These, and the profusion of perching birds, 
fly-catchers, finches, and thrushes, that appear in the 
open country, afford sufficient quarry for the raptorial 
and predatory species — eagles, hawks, and falcons— 
whose daring sweeps and effortless undulations are 
striking objects in the cloudless sky. 
I. Accipitees. Eagles. — The Eagles, however, are 
small, and as compared with other countries rare; 
except, perhaps, the crested eagle 1 , which haunts the 
mountain provinces and the lower hills, disquieting the 
peasantry by its ravages amongst their poultry ; and the 
gloomy serpent eagle 2 , which, descending from its eyrie 
in the lofty jungle, and uttering a loud and plaintive 
cry, sweeps cautiously around the lonely tanks and 
marshes, to feed upon the reptiles on their margin. 
The largest eagle is the great sea Erne 3 , seen on the 
1 SpizaetiisKmnaetus, Horsf. The 2 Which Gould "believes to be the 
race of these birds in the Deccan and Hcetnatornis JBacha, Baud. 
Ceylon are rather more crested, ori- 3 Pontoaetus leucogaster, Gmel. 
ginating the Sp. Cristatellus, Auct. 
R 3 
