42 
Birds of Celebes; Balconidae. 
nearly fledged young ones on April 12*^ — hence the eggs were laid at the end of 
February or early in March (15)\ New South Wales, first eggs laid in July (18). 
Nest. A large mass of sticks, lined with finer ones, situated in a great tree or — where 
this is wanting — on a rock (18, 20). 
Distribution. India and South China to Ceylon, Laccadive, Andaman and Nicobar Islands; 
Siam, Cochin Cliina, Pliilippines ; throughout the East Lidian Archipelago to New 
Gruinea, the Admiralty and Solomon Islands; Australia; Tasmania; ? Tonga Islands. 
[For exact locahties and authorities, cf. Salvadori, f 2‘, and add Cochin China 
(Moreau 5), Palawan (Platen f 4, Whitehead 14), Natuna Is. (Hose f 6), Noord- 
wachter Id. (Vorderman 2U), Dana Id. (Studer 23)]. 
In the Celehesian area: — (Forsten 2, Wallace], Minahassa (v. Duiven- 
bode 5, Meyer f la,, etc.), Lemheh Id. (Guillemard Hickson 24^'^, Nat. 
Coll.), E. peninsula (Nat. Coll. 29), S. peninsula (Weber 22)-, Saleyer Id. (Weber 
20y, Hanggai Id. (Nat. Coll. 29). 
The origuial authority for the Tonga Islands appears to be Lesson (Man. 
d’Om, 1828, I, 85). No reliable confirmation of the species having occurred there 
has been produced since this date. 
Until more evidence is forthcoming it is advisable to exclude the Cape of Good 
Hope from the range of this species. “Le Blagre” of Levaillant, commonly iden- 
tified with it, was indicated as an Afilcan species, and there is a specimen in the 
British Museum from the late Jules Verreaux with the locahty Cape of Good 
Hope indicated; but, since the country has become better known, no confirmation 
of these statements has come to hand. (See Sharpe 6, Salvad. f 2, Legge 7). 
Schlegel (5) points out that this Sea-cagle, like Ilaliastur indus, often has 
black shaft-streaks in the white adult plumage, and also points out that in their 
first plumage the two species are similar. It is not the case, however, that 
specimens with dark shaft-streaks are peculiar to any special joart of the range 
of the species. 
The MTiite-bellied Sea-eagle is a bird of the sea-coast, though sometimes 
found to a distance of GO miles or so up the mouths of the larger rivers of 
Burmah (Oates), and Colonel Legge notes the fact of its breeding at some of 
the large inland lakes of Ceylon. Its food consists chiefly of sea-snakes, fish, 
cuttle-fish and other marine animals. In Java Mr. de Bocarme (2) remarks 
that it preys on dead carcases thrown up on the strand at the mouths of rivers ; 
and at Pigeon Island off the W. coast of India Hume shot one while bearing 
in its claws the stomach and liver of a Goat, and found the remains of a sheep’s 
head, amongst the bones of sea snakes, etc., beneath the nest of another; but 
it does not appear to attack mammals when alive, though it has been known 
to carry off wounded birds. 
The normal number of eggs is two. The time of laying varies much, even 
in districts not far from one another, as is pointed out above. 
H. leucogaster has no very close allies. It is easily distinguishable from 
other birds of prey in Celebes by its large size, and the adult by its striking 
coloration. 
