178 
REVIEW. 
districyie has chosen for his domain. He is usually accompanied by his female 
mate; indeed, they seldom separate, arid never fly beyond the boundaries of the 
domain which they have selected for their abode. They construct their eyry, 
not hollow, like that of other birds, but flat and platform-like upon the top of 
the highest trees, or amongst steep and inaccessible rocks. The Griffard’s eyry 
is so firm and solid, that a man may stand upon it, without any apprehension of 
its giving way; and, in consequence of this solidity, it serves the same pair for a 
number of years. The base consists of several strong rafters of different lengths, 
according to the distance between the forked branches on which they are to rest. 
These rafters are crossed and every where interlaced with flexible boughs, which 
bind them firmly together; this forms the foundation for the edifice. Upon 
this is laid a quantity of brushwood, moss, dry leaves, ling, and also leaves of 
Liliaceous plants and flags, if such happen to grow in the neighbourhood. This 
second layer is covered with another, consisting of small bits of dry wood. The 
last layer, on which the female lays her eggs, consists entirely of soft materials. 
The eyry, thus constructed, may be four or five feet in diameter, and two feet 
in thickness, and is of an irregular form. It lasts for many years, and it may be, 
during the whole life of the same pair, if no danger has at any time presented 
itself, to induce them to change their place of habitation. When a district does 
not furnish a suitable tree to the Griffard for the construction of his eyry, he 
builds it among rocks. As, in this case, a foundation is not requisite, a bed of 
moss is placed immediately upon the rock, in which case, the eggs are invariably 
deposited among small wood, and never upon softer materials; This bird pre¬ 
fers an isolated tree for his abode, probably in consequence of his being very sus¬ 
picious, and of his being desirous to observe what passes around him. On rocks, 
moreover, his brood is more likely to become the prey of several species of small 
carnivorous quadrupeds, which precisely because they are small, are the more 
formidable to him. The female Griffard lays two perfectly white, nearly round 
eggs, about three inches and a few lines in diameter. While she is sitting, the 
male attends to all her wants, and provides also for the young when hatched till 
they can be left without danger; but afterwards, when they are increased in 
growth, they require so much food, that the parent birds are both obliged to 
hunt for them, in order to satisfy their insatiable appetites. * * * While these 
birds remain perched, they utter shrill and piercing cries, which are heard afar 
off, mixed every now and then with hoarse, mournful notes. They frequently 
also utter similar cries when on the wing, and while they are at the same time at 
so prodigious a height as to be undistinguishable by the eye. * * * The female is 
eight feet seven across the wings from tip to tip, and the male only seven feet 
five inches. * * The colours of both are nearly the same, except those of the male 
are a slight shade deeper on the wings. * * All the under part of the body, from 
the throat to the tail, including the legs and shanks are of a beautiful white. 
The feathers covering the top of the head, and the back and sides of the neck, 
are white at the base, and of a greyish-brown towards the point. The feathers 
about the cheeks, and some part of the neck, are very agreeably speckled with 
brown and white. The back and tail coverts brownish, all the mantle (manteau) 
is of this last colour, but each feather is bordered with a paler tint; the large 
wing feathers are black, the middle ones are striped across with dull white and 
brownish black; the last feathers have a white border at the point. The tail is 
striped in the same manner as the middle wing feathers.” 
