84 



LE VAILLANT'S BIRDS OF AFRICA. 



the wings are of a brownish-black, with some white in part of the 

 middle of the external plumelets (barbes) ; all the other wing-feathers 

 are waved with greyish-brown and white, as well as all those of the 

 tail, the extremity of which is entirely blackish-brown. The tail is 

 slightly rounded. The toes are yellowish, and the claws of a shining- 

 black ; the beak horn-coloured ; the iris yellow, more or less deep, 

 according to the age of the bird. 



I have only met with this species in the Auteniqua country and in 

 Canraria. 



The Tufted Gos Eagle builds his eyry upon trees, and lines it with 

 feathers or wool. The female lays two eggs, nearly round, and spotted 

 with reddish-brown. She is larger than the male ; her colour is lighter, 

 and her crest is not so long ; she has also more white on the leg- 

 feathers, and also a number of small white spots about her eyes, and on 

 the top of her head. 



The male and female are always sure to be found in the same dis- 

 trict, and always together. 



The Tufted Gos Eagle has a plaintive cry, but it is very seldom 

 heard except when he is in pursuit of crows, on whom he has no mercy 

 when they approach too near his eyry. But he seems to be most 

 inveterate against the species which I have named Corbivan (the Ring- 

 necked Raven — Corvus torquatus, Spalowsky).; for these, better 

 armed and more daring, frequently venture to attack the Gos Eagle, 

 and take his prey from him ; when strong in numbers they will even 

 endeavour to beat him from his eyry, that they may devour the eggs 

 or young birds. It sometimes happens that his brood thus becomes 

 the prey of these plunderers ; but it is never, till overpowered by num- 

 bers, and after a defence which has cost the life of more^han one of 

 their enemies, that the unfortunate pair can be forced to abandon their 

 eaglets, frequently still too feeble to defend themselves except by the 

 cries of despair. 



The young Tufted Gos Eagles are at first covered with a whitish- 

 grey down, which becomes gradually replaced by brownish feathers 

 bordered with red. I have examined three of the nests, in neither of 

 which did I find more than two young ones, one of which was always 

 a male and the other a female, a circumstance easily known, from the 

 difference of their size. On leaving the nest, the crest is apparent 

 in the male. 



