THE WHITE-BELLIED SEA-EAGLE 
[The white bellied sea-eagle is a magnificent great bird and 
as it is of very large size and bas a loud barking, or rather 
yelping, cry it cannot easily be overlooked* This eagle fre- 
quents the shore all round the Island and can also be sometimes 
seen on the big reservoirs off the Thomson Road. One or two 
can nearly always be observed sitting on buoys or posts just 
outside the harbour or hanging about the breakwater whilst 
towards evuning it can usually be noticed sailing towards the 
high trees in the Tanglin district where several nightly roost. 
It feeds principally on fish and sea-snakes and can some- 
times be seen to seize quite large specimens as they bask on 
the surface of the water : it is said also to capture water-birds 
and even poultry and it is certainly not above devouring dead 
fish lying on the shore. Although, normally, its flight" looks 
somewhat Jaboured its rapid evolutions on the wing in the 
breeding season when playing wtlh its mate or chasing an 
intruding male are most interesting to \%atch. It is faithful 
to its nest and the siime site is utilized year after year: if one 
of a pair is shot, another soon takes its place and if both of a 
pair are destroyed a new couple soon occupy the nest. In one 
great Waringan tree in a garden off Gran^tje Road, a nest has 
existed from time immemorial: near "Labrador" there is an- 
other well-known eyrie and others can easily be discovered by 
anyone who cares to look near Changi and Woodlands, It can 
without difficulty be kept in captivity. — J. A. S. B.J. 
[97] 
