ZOOLOGY 
345 
have said there was but one vulture in British Central Africa—a Neophron ; but 
I recently obtained specimens on the Upper Shire and from the vicinity of 
Lake Chilwa which belong to the genus Otogyps (the eared vulture) with a bare 
red head and large beak. The Neophron may turn out to be a new species, 
slightly different from the Neophron pileatus —differing in that the bare parts of 
the head and neck are rosy-pink and blue, instead of being a dull purple, and 
that the down which grows at the back of the bird’s head and neck is a pale buff- 
white instead of being brownish-grey. On the bare skin of the throat there are 
curious ribbed excrescences white in colour. I have sent specimens of this bird 
home but they have either not reached or for some reason have not been 
described. A faithful representation of this vulture may be seen in the picture 
of the dead Angoni warrior, page 33. These birds will devour carrion, but they 
are also general scavengers and occasionally visit the vicinity of large towns or 
camps where they consume the ordure and offal. 
Central Africa has almost the grandest of raptorial birds—the warlike 
Spizaetus Eagle. I give an illustration here of a fine specimen of the Spizaetus 
which was for a long time in my 
possession. It became fairly tame, 
and would allow itself to be caressed, 
but was deadly to any small animal 
which approached it. I once saw it 
kill a cat instantaneously. Seeing 
me play with the eagle the cat 
sidled up to me. In a second the 
eagle had darted out a foot and 
driven its claws through the cat’s 
skull, killing it in a moment. The 
claws of this Spizaetus are probably 
proportionately longer than in other 
eagles. 
The very handsome crested eagle 
(.Lophoaetus ) is a much smaller bird, 
but is rather richly coloured in dark 
black-brown with white feathered 
legs, a few white spots on the back 
and a white patch on the under 
wing coverts. Its crest is long and 
the tips of the feathers droop for¬ 
ward. The fishing eagles are well 
represented by that very handsome 
bird the screaming fish eagle (. Haliae - 
tus vocifer ), the mature plumage of 
which is rich chocolate-brown and 
snowy-white ; and by the aberrant the warlike crested eagle ( Spizaetus bellicosus) 
Bateleur eagle ( Helotarsus ); and the 
remarkable Gypohierax. The screaming fish eagle is one of the commonest 
African birds, and its cheerful yells occur at intervals all through the day¬ 
time on an African river, recalling one in imagination to the vicinity of 
the eagles’ aviary in the Zoological Gardens, where while waiting to mount 
the elephant’s back as children we have been deafened by the same not 
unmusical clangour. The Bateleur eagle is rather spoilt as regards shape 
