30 AQUILA. CHRYSAETUS. 



Meantime I strolled out by the side of the locli, and watched with interest 

 some fine Black Cocks, birds I had never before seen alive, sunning themselves 

 on the topmost branches of the old dead Scotch-fir trees. On my guide's 

 making his appearance, he was very frank, and said how glad he was to 

 welcome me as one of INIr. Wolley's friends. But it was some time before he 

 came to the subject of my visit, and then it was only approached cautiously. 

 * Yes, there were Eagles left, certainly, both Golden and "White-tailed, but 

 in nothing like the numbers of old. He indeed had been their principal 

 destroyer in those parts; but he no longer intended to be so. In fact, he 

 had received orders to the contrary; for the proprietor liked to see them 

 flying, when he came with his friends from the south, though he was de- 

 sired to take care that the farmers sbould not have good ground to com- 

 plain of their number.' My guide had once caught ten or a dozen in as 

 many days, keeping tbem alive as a show ; and since then it was that their 

 utter destruction had been forbidden. They were mostly young Golden Eagles, 

 ' Ringtails ;' but I think he said there were AVhite-tailed ones among them. 

 He was not certain, but he thought there was a nest he could show me, 

 though no one had been near the place for fear of making the birds forsake, 

 which they would do if they happened to see a man off the road and near the 

 place ; that is, of course, when they were building, for when they had begun 

 to sit they were not so easily disturbed. There was, besides, another nest, 

 which he thought I could get. It was in an adjoining forest ; but it could be 

 done without much trouble. To this we settled to go the next morning, and 

 I accordingly joined my guide at an early hour ; and after a walk of about ten 

 miles, we reached the entrance of a glen celebrated in historj^ On the road 

 he showed me tbe moimtain to the left, on which he had foimd Greenshanks' 

 eggs, a long way fi-om any water, except perhaps a few springs, such as 

 are to be found almost everywhere in the neighbourhood. On our right front 

 was a loch, the breeding-place of a pair of White-tailed Eagles ; but the year 

 before a shepherd had trapped one of them, and it was doubtfid whetlier the 

 survivor would find a mate and return again. Black-throated Divers also bred 

 there, and my guide generally got an egg or two when he was not forestalled 

 by the ' Huddles.' Here, too, I had my first glimpse of really wild Red Deer, 

 as a herd was feeding on the ridge to our left, and eveiy now and then one 

 coidd be seen standing out clear against the sky. To my companion's more 

 accustomed eye many were also plain, feeding on the hill-side. They must 

 have been at least three-quarters of a mile from us. On gaining the entrance 

 of the glen, where a bare and lofty mountain was in full view, my guide 

 pointed out to me the site of the nest. It looked like a black spot on the face 

 of what seemed a perpendicular cliff, halfway up the mountain. The snow in 

 the gorges extended far below, so that we should have to pass over it before 

 reaching the nest. A short way fiu-ther we arrived at the forester's lodge, to 

 find its occupant gone away for the day. However, his son soon came home ; 

 and after a short conversation in Gaelic between him and my guide, the latter 

 informed me it was all right, and at about half-past twelve we commenced the 

 ascent. It was a beautiful day, and the mountain was quite clear of mist. 

 The snow in the gorges made the climbing somewhat more difficult, as the frost 

 was not out of the gi'ound. We passed first quite under the nest to the west- 

 ward, and then began to ascend. We kept to the left of a sm.ill con-ie, stopping 

 everv now and then to rest, and gaze up at the object of our ambition. When 



