Eagle's Nest in Loch Skene. 443 



that this is a manifest adaptation to their indigenous locality, 

 I think the supposition that it implies a relationship to the 

 pigeon family becomes gratuitous. The gougas (Pterocles) 

 are well known to inhabit arid sandy deserts, where their 

 sustenance is very widely scattered ; in accordance with which 

 they are provided with powerful means of flight, in order to 

 be enabled to traverse a sufficient area. It is very clear, 

 therefore, that, under these circumstances, a departure from 

 the mode of rearing progeny prevalent among the other 

 poultry becomes necessary, as a numerous brood could only 

 obtain subsistence by following their parents on the wing ; 

 for which reason it has been wisely provided that the young 

 should continue helpless till their wings are developed, re- 

 quiring to be supplied with food by their parents; and their 

 number is accordingly reduced to three or four only, more 

 than which it is not likely that the old birds would be able to 

 rear. I can perceive in this no sort of approach to the Co- 

 lumbidae, which it is preposterous to mingle promiscuously 

 with the other Rasores : in other words, to adopt no higher 

 distinction between them and the poultry tribes, than has 

 been assigned to the leading divisions of the latter. — Id. 



Eagle's Nest in Loch Skene. — The conductor of the Edin- 

 burgh Journal of Natural History, in a paragraph on " Eagles' 

 Nests," No. 19., gives a citation from an article by an old 

 contributor in your Magazine for March last (Vol. I. p. 118., 

 n. s.), signed W. L., on the breeding of woodcocks in Scot- 

 land, &c. This citation, with the appended remarks, W. L. 

 begs to repeat. " The eagle had its nest annually in two 

 places on the borders of the counties of Dumfries and Selkirk ; 

 one was on a precipice in Eskdale. The other situation was 

 chosen with much of that touch of reflection that we sometimes 

 observe among birds, as well as others of the lower animals. 

 There is a small rocky islet, almost even with the water, in 

 Loch Skene, which is surrounded with the highest mountains 

 south of the Forth; and, although the side of one of these 

 mountains that overhangs the lake is rocky and seemingly 

 inaccessible, the eagles choose to have their nest on the islet 

 in the loch ; because, forsooth, the Loch Craig could be ap- 

 proached by ropes from above, while it is almost impossible 

 to convey a boat to the loch, and there never was one there. 

 W. L." — The conductor of the Edinburgh Journal thinks it 

 behoves him to observe, — S Now, wc would have naturalists to 

 think a little before they state a fact, and be sparing of theory. 

 A boat has been conveyed to the loch, and the eagles of the 

 district are extinct. The side of the mountain that over- 

 li ^no'/L KK&sq ibiii ^J emit smog idi 



