Chap. VIII.] 



EAGLES. 



245 



this name ; but it utters a cry resembling the word mat- 

 Idang! 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. Accipitres. 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 SpizaetuslimnaetuSjZfor^/'. The 

 race of these birds in the Deccan and 

 Ceylon are rather more crested, ori- 

 ginating the Sp. Cristatellus, Auct. 



2 Which Gould believes to be the 

 Hamatornis Bacha, Daud. 



3 Pontoaetus leucogaster, Gmel. 



R 3 



