Irides yellow j bill and claws horn-colour ; toes yellow. Length, 3';
wing, 1' 9" ; tail, 1' 3".
Immature birds are much paler than the adults, and are almost
entirely white underneath.
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. pis. 40, 41.
35. S p izaetus bellicosus. Martial Hawk-Eagle.
This species is very scarce in the colony, only two specimens
having fallen under our notice. One was procured at the Knysna by
Mr. George Rex, the other at Oolesberg by Mr. Amot.
Mr. Gueinzius procured a specimen in Natal, which was shot with
“ a young goat in its talons,” and Mr. Rickard has obtained it at
Port Elizabeth. The latter gentleman writes:—“ Mr. Hallack
informs me that a fine male was killed at Betheledorp in May, 1869.”
Mr. Baines shot one between Mount Lubels and Mount bPguiba,
twenty or twenty-five miles south of Lake N’gami. Regarding its
occurrence in Damara Land, Mr. Andersson observes:—“ I never
identified but one pair, which I found close to Objimbinque and the
female of which I killed.”
I t is of this species that Mr. Atmore writes, in epistold:—“ Just
as we were leaving the Knysna, we heard of an eagle s nest in the
forest, and under the tree the person who found it counted 95 heads
of the little ‘ Blue Buck ’ [Oephalophus ccerpda).” Mr. Tom Atmore
informs us that the tree was an enormous “ yellow-wood,” quite inaccessible
; and the nest a huge mass of sticks impervious to a bullet.
The Hon. Mr. Vigne informs us that one of these birds attacked his
sheep-kraal and killed the lambs. It was ultimately caught in a
steel trap placed near the kraal.
Mr. Harford gives me the following description obtained from
Mr. T. Ayres of the egg of this species:—“ Chalky white, faintly
spotted and blotched with light reddish brown, shape roundish.
Axis, 3 A in .; diam. 2 ^ in. The nest was taken in the Orange
Free State, June 10th, 1870, placed in a large tree, old and gnarled,
on the side of a rough pyramidal granite hill. It was about five feet
in diameter, composed of the usual rough sticks, and lined with fresh
green twigs. It contained one egg only, and that much incubated/
This egg and the old bird are now in the collection of Canon
Tristram.
Adult.—General colour above, chest and neck dark grev-brown ;
beneath white, spotted with vei*y dark-brown ; thighs barred with
the same; large wing feathers, dark brown: the lesser ones and
tail transversely barred with grey. Talons black, much curved and
strong; legs feathered to the toes. Length, 2' 7"; wing, 1' 11";
tail, 12".
The young bird is pale brown, and is much lighter everywhere
than the adult, the under surface being almost entirely white.
Fig. . Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 42 [adult). Levaill. Ois.
d'Afr. pi. 1 [young). .
36. L ophoaetus o c c ip ita l is . African Crested Eagle.
Spizaetus occipitalis, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 13 (1867).
This beautiful Eagle is a bird of the eastern districts, being
decidedly more common there' than elsewhere. Yictorin procured it
at the Knysna in July, August, and October, and Mr. Atmore, to
whom we are indebted for specimens, describes it as not uncommon
in the neighbourhood of Traka.
We saw it in some abundance in the forest country about the Kat-
river, Kowie, Fish-river, &c. It did not appear to be shy, but
allowed us to ride past it on several occasions.
Dr. Atherstone notes it from the neighbourhood of Grahams-
town, and Mr. T. C. Atmore procured it near Elands’ Post. Mr.
Rickard states that he got three specimens at Port Elizabeth, and
found the bird very plentiful at East London. Mr. Ayres records it
as common in Natal, and Dr. Kirk informs us that in the Zambesi
country it “ frequents the neighbourhood of rivers. It was not
observed in the mountains, but was common in the Shire and Zambesi
Valleys.”
It has not been recorded by Mr. Andersson from Damara Land,
nor has Senor Anchieta met with it in Benguela, but a specimen
'from Angola is in the Lisbon Museum.
Mr. Atmore writes :—“ The crested Eagle is a gentleman of low
tastes. One was eating an owl [S. capensis) the other day. Tom
could easily have shot him, but mistook him for a Buteo jaclcal. He
is not uncommon about George, and not at all difficult to get a t: sits
for hours on a naked pole. I saw several during my survey, and
might have bagged at least four, but had no gun with me.” Mr.