160 



le vaillant's natural history 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BIRDS OF AFRICA. 



TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF LE VAILLANT. 



THE VOCIFEROUS EAGLE (Haliatus vocifer, SAvrcNv). 



Le Vocifer, Levaill. Ois. de TAfrique, i. p. 17, pi. 4 ; Falcon Vocifer, Lath., Ind, 

 Orn. Sup. p. vi. ; Daud. ii. p. 64 ; Shaw's Zool. vii. p. 94 ; Aigle nonette, Gaby, Voy. 

 en Nigritie : Piscivorous Eagle, Lath. Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. p. 33 ; Id. Gen. Hist. i. 

 p. 158 ; Haliaetus vocifer, Cuv. Regne Animal, i. 327, note ; Lesson, Manuel, i. 85.; 

 Drapiez, Diet. Classique, i. 285. 



This is beyond all question one of the most beautiful species of the 



eagles, being remarkable for the fineness of its plumage, the elegance 



of its form, and its large size, which is equal to that of the osprey. It 



is also remarkable for the whiteness of the fore part of the body and 



of the tail, and also for the mixture of reddish brown and black, which 



contrasts so well with the rest. The feathers of the head, the scapu- 



laries, and the tail, are also white, with brown on the sides, while those 



of the breast display scattered longitudinal spots of a blackish brown 



colour : the rest of the plumage being of a nut-brown, dashed {fiambe) 



with black. The smaller wing-coverts are of a pale rust-colour ; the 



scapularies near them are mixed with black, and show very prettily 



