LOUD LILKORD OX RAPTORIAL UIRDS IX TIIK LILKORD AVIARIES. 5G7 
a i'ow years afterwards. These birds arc in fine iilnmagc, with the 
characteristic white shoulders very fully developed. This species 
is, or T fear that I must now say, Wivs, common in the wooded 
plains of central and .southern Spain, and in habits appears to 
resemble Aiiiiikc wo'ii/nik very closely. The nest is generally 
placed in the crown of a tree, often an isolated Cork tree, and by 
no means always at any great height in such ca.ses ; but when the 
birds select a Pine tree surrounded closely by other’s, as often 
hajjpens, the nest is generally built so as to command an extensive 
view over the forest. These Eagles feed principally upon Kabbits. 
Un one occasion we found a huge Pat in a nest containing two young 
birds at a short distance from the lodge in which we were 
staying. I used to send a lad uj) to this nest every day to bring 
away the ((Uarry that he might find there, to feed some young 
birds of the same species that we had taken from a more remote 
nest. Tlie climber avowed that ho never found anything in the 
shape of prey in this nest but Itabbits and the Pat above men- 
tioned. I was told by the natives that this Eagle will feed upon 
carrion; but though 1 have seen hundreds of Vultures, Kite.s, and 
other birds, at the frequent carcases of Horses and horned cattle 
in the open marisma, 1 never detected one of this species amongst 
them. Whilst one bird is on the eggs, the other is often to be 
seen soaring at a great height, occasionally giving utterance to 
a short yelp. The full complement of eggs is three, but often only 
two are laid. 
I\ly birds at Lilford are very tame, but very noisy : their 
cries much resemble those of the White-tailed Tiagle. I 
think that I may confidently attirm that the White-shouldered 
Eagle does not assume the complete adult plumage till its sixth 
or seventh yeai’, and does not breed till this plumage is attained. 
The plumage of the immature birds varies greath’. I have seen 
specimens in which the head, neck, breast, back, and wings, 
except the primaries, were of an almost uniform .tawny buff 
colour ; but as a rule the ground colour of these parts is of 
a darker shade, and often, perhaps generally, interspersed with dark 
lirown fe.athers. This species, I imagine, never at any period 
of its existence assumes the .striate<l plum.age of the young 
Imperial Eagle ; but the Ergles that inhabit or occasionally visit 
T'.urope, have been the cause of many diversities of opinion 
