The DESTROYING EAGLES (Pternura) constitute a race of South American birds, very closely resembling the Tufted Eagle in their general appearance, but recognisable by the comparative length of their wings (in which the fifth quill is longer than the rest), and by the shortness of their toes.
THE URUTAURANA.
The URUTAURANA (Pternura tyrannus), the most stately member of this group, is twenty-six inches in length and fifty in breadth; the wing measures sixteen and the tail fourteen inches; the female is two inches longer and three or four inches broader than her mate. In this species, the head, throat, nape, and upper part of the breast are black; the plumage of the back is an uniform blackish brown, that of the lower portions of the body of the same hue, marked with white; the wing-feathers are ornamented with five or six white lines; the tail-feathers have similar markings, and are bordered with white, so that when seen from above they appear of a greyish brown, and on the under side whitish grey; the plumage upon the legs and feet is also mottled with white. The young birds are brown or greyish brown, the feathers upon the back being edged with a lighter shade; the throat is whitish, the breast yellowish brown, marked with dark spots; the eye orange colour, the beak greyish black; the cere greyish yellow, and the feet pale yellow.
THE TUFTED EAGLE (Lophoaëtos occipitalis).
The Urutaurana inhabits the forests in the interior of Brazil, but is never met with in large numbers; indeed, the Prince von Wied, who first discovered this species, only captured one specimen, and Burmeister saw but two during his travels. The bird shot by the first-mentioned naturalist was killed whilst in the act of seizing an opossum. Monkeys and small quadrupeds of all kinds constitute its usual food. The nest, which was built upon the branch of a tree, contained but two eggs. These scanty particulars include all the information that has as yet been obtained respecting its habits.
Brehm mentions having seen a still rarer species, the Pternura Isidori, in confinement, and tells us that when first caged it proved extremely fierce and shy, becoming, however, much tamer after a few months. It would eat every kind of animal food, even fish; but always carefully examined any new viand before proceeding to devour it. This bird exhibited perfect indifference to change of climate, frequently remaining voluntarily exposed to a pelting rain or fall of snow when it could have readily found shelter beneath the roof of its cage.
The BRAZILIAN EAGLES (Morphnus), also inhabitants of the woods of Brazil, form a race of remarkable birds, concerning whose proper position there has been great variety of opinion, seeing that they combine the size, strength, and noble appearance of an Eagle with the shape of the Sparrow Hawk. All the members of this group possess stout bodies and large heads; their wings are short, their tails broad and long; the tarsus is at least twice as long as the middle toe, and but slightly covered with feathers below the heel, the other parts being protected with horny plates; the toes are powerful, though short, and armed with strong, sharp talons; the beak is long, shallow, and comparatively weak; the upper mandible terminates in an abrupt hook, and its edges bulge slightly outwards.