570 LOUD LILFORD ON UAUTORIAL BIRDS IN THE LILFORD AVIARIES. 
Straits of Gibraltar,’ lias given many interesting details concerning 
these Eagles, which may often he seen hovering and hunting over 
the western or town side of the rock. 
In Epirus, Sardinia, and Tunis, we used constantly to see one or 
two of these Eagles during our winter shooting expeditions, 
haunting the marshes in pursuit of wild fowl, and I have several 
times recovered wounded Ducks by their agency. On one occasion, 
having killed a Mallard Avith my first barrel, and mortally 
Avounded another Avith my second, I marked tlie latter to the 
ground at a very considerable distance, and on approaching the 
spot was suddenly aAvare of an Eagle busily engaged in plucking 
my bird Avithin lifty yards of me in the open. lie alloAved me to 
get Avithin tAventy paces, and seemed inclined to dispute my claim 
by loAvering his Avings, and setting up his crest, but eventually fieAv 
off Avith great reluctance to a neighbouring tree. I could not harden 
my heart to shoot him; and I Avas often afterAvards assisted by him, 
or others of his species in the same locality, in my stalks after Avild 
fowl, for as long as one of these Eagles Avas hanging overhead, 
I found the Ducks very uiiAvilling to rise from their covert, and 
thus obtained many shots. ^ 
The stooj) of Bonelli’s Eagle from the clouds at a fiock of Avild 
fowl is a splendid sight. If the Ducks Avere at a good height the 
Eagle never missed the selected victim; and the remainder of the 
fiock Avould come plunging doAvn to the marsh, scattered like the 
sparks from an exploding rocket. In the summer months those 
Eagles remain in the mountains, and prey upon Partridges, 
Pigeons, and, in Spain, on liabbits ; but in Avinter they come doAvn 
to the plains, and seemed to me to feed almost exclusively on Avild 
foAvl. The nest is generally placed in a steep cliff: the eggs, tAvo in 
number, are laid early in February. pair of these Eagles used 
to breed in a range of rocky cliffs not far from Putrinto, in Epirus ; 
and I have often been much amused b}’- seeing them come out and 
buffet the Griffon Vultures, as the latter sailed slowdy to and from 
their nests in the same range. In fact, the Eagles Avould not 
tolerate the close proximity of any large bird of prey. I have been 
assured by a Spanish professional Avild-foAvl shooter, that he once 
Avitnessed a fierce encounter betAveen one of these Eagles and an 
Eagle OaaT, on the ground in the open Marisma. They Avere so 
savagely engaged that they alloAA^cd of the man’s very close apiu'oach. 
