fortunate in the chase, a hard-fought battle is sure to ensue, in order to compel the possessor of the coveted morsel ignominiously to resign its prize, and during such encounters the combatants often use their claws with so much effect that, powerless to fly, both fall together to the ground. About noon the Snake Buzzard appears upon the river banks, over which it hops much after the fashion of the Raven. An isolated tree is usually selected for a sleeping-place, as from such a situation the bird can command a view of the surrounding country. The food of this species consists principally of reptiles, though it also devours large quantities of fish, which, should the water be shallow, it readily obtains; according to Jerdon, it also consumes rats, small birds, crabs, and the larger kinds of insects. The manner in which this bird gives battle to serpents has been thus described: "A young individual in my possession," says Mecklenburg, "would dart down upon any snake, however large or fierce, and after seizing it with its claws behind the head, bite it vigorously several times through the nape; the reptile, thus paralysed, was then swallowed by degrees, commencing with the head, each new mouthful being prepared by a preliminary bite through the backbone. During one forenoon I have seen my bird kill and devour no fewer than three large snakes, one of which measured nearly three feet, and was very thick. I have never known an instance in which it tore its prey to pieces before swallowing it. The scales were usually cast up again undigested." Elliot mentions having seen one of these Buzzards completely enveloped in the folds of a huge poisonous snake, the head of which, however, was held so firmly in the bird's beak, that all its efforts to free itself were fruitless. The thick coat of feathers in which this species is enveloped is its only protection against the deadly fangs of its victims; recent experiments have proved that its system is not, as was once supposed, proof against their poison. The eyrie of the Snake Buzzard is built about June; it is flat in shape, and formed of branches and twigs; the interior is lined with green leaves, and green branches are also fastened outside to protect the little family from the rays of the sun. It is not uncommon for a pair of these birds to return year after year to the same eyrie. They lay one or two eggs of an oval shape, with very thin, coarse shells, of a blueish white colour. Both parents participate in the labour of incubation, sitting alternately upon the eggs for about twenty-eight days. We are told, on reliable authority, that, if molested, the mother bird removes her young to another place. The Snake Buzzard is easily tamed if taken early from the nest. * * * * *