ever rocky precipitous mountains are to be found. In these it fixes
its eyrie, sallying out daily at early dawn in quest of food, and
returning in the evening. One pair had their haunt in some of the
rocks of the “ Devil’s Hill,” near Cape Town, and sailed over the
“ Oamp Ground” to and fro, night and morning, with the regularity
of clock-work, to their hunting grounds somewhere on the Cape
flats. We have never ascended Table Mountain without encountering
a pair near the gorge which opens on to the top, but they never
suffered us to get within range.
I t is called “ Dassie Vanger” (Goney-eater) and “ Berghaan”
(mountain-cock) by the colonists, from feeding principally on the
coney, or rock-rabbit (Hyrax capensis). It also attacks the klip-
springer antelope (4. oreotragus), darting at them when perched on
pinnacles of the rocks (their favourite position), and hurling them
headlong into the abyss below, into which they descend to feed on
them at their leisure. They are also accused of killing lambs and
sickly sheep, and carrying off the smaller antelopes from the low
country.
Mr. Atmore writes, July 21st, 1864: “ Fancy my knowing of two
nests of A. verreautvii, but in such inaccessible places that no one
can get at them. Large nests in rocks about 1000 feet high, just
on a ledge 300 or 400 feet from the top.” Messrs. H. Jackson and
A. F..Ortlepp have both sent eggs of this fine eagle. The latter
writes : “ These birds lay about the beginning of July, on ledges of
steep precipices, though not always, as I have heard of their nests
in ‘ Paijbos’-bushes (Rhus lucida) along the Zeekoe river. Eggs
two. For some time after leaving the shell, the young birds are
quite white, mqre like balls of swan’s down than birds. All our
eagles are here called ‘ Lammerfangers.’ ”
An egg brought to us by Mr. Hugo, of Fransch Hoek, is chalky
white, mottled throughout, and especially at the obtuse end, with
rust-coloured and light-coloured spots. Axis, 3” 5"'; diam. 2" 4"'.
The title of Aquila verreauxi must be retained for this Eagle in
preference to the unsatisfactory one of vulturmai of Daudin. The
latter name was bestowed on the " Caffre” of Levaillant. He apparently
founded the “ Caffre” on the present bird, and enters into a
long description of habits which the bird does not follow. In fact,
he never obtained a specimen: only saw it at a distance, and invented
his account. Had he secured one, he never could have stated that
its talons were not fitted to carry away its prey: a single glimpse of
the powerful, curved, sharp claws is enough to dispel this illusion.
Adult.—Jet black, with half the back and rump white; legs
feathered to the toes, which are bright yellow; claws black, very
strong, and curved. Length, 2' 9"; wing, 2' 1"; tail, 13". The
young bird is fawn brown, inclining here and there to black,
according to its age.
Fig. Des Murs in Lefebvre, Yoy. Abyss. Zool. pi. iv.
30. A quila rafax. Tawny Eagle.
Aquila senegalla, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 10 (1867).
This bird seems to be very common at Kuruman, Oolesberg, Nel’s
Poort, Beaufort, and the Karroo generally.
Mr. Rickard notes it from Port Elizabeth, but Mr. Ayres says
that it is rare in Natal; the same gentleman has met with it in
the Transvaal territory. According to Mr. Andersson, it is not
uncommon in Damara Land, and Great Namaqua Land, and Senor
Anchieta has obtained numerous examples at Huilla in the Mossa-
medes district.
I should fancy, from the behaviour of one which we kept for some
time in confinement, and which went to the Zoological Gardens,
Regent’s Park, that it would make a good hunting eagle. Mr. Arnot,
of Oolesberg, from whom it was received, tells us that it became
quite as tame with him as with us. We have been informed by the
Messrs. Jackson, of Nel’s Poort, that these birds constantly accompany
persons in pursuit of game, and have been seen by them to
carry off wounded Yaal Knoorhaans (Otis vigorsii) and hares. Their
depredations on the flocks cause them to be killed on all occasions;
but they are still very numerous in the Karroo. We found a nest,
evidently inhabited by young birds, in the month of January. I t
was a large mass of sticks in the top of a high, scraggy, and to us
inaccessible tree, on the banks of the Dwass River, near Mr. Jackson’s
residence. Mr. H. Jackson subsequently took two eggs from
this nest in the middle of June. They were of a rounded oval,
white, more or less spotted and blotched with dry blood-coloured
spots and patches. Axis, 2" 9'"; Diam. 2" lm. Mr. Henry
Buckley writes : “ They vary from 2-82 x 2-17 inches to 2-70 x 1-52.
In colour they are white, blotched with faint ashy grey.” One that
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