AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. 35 



She came within sight twice afterwards, though at a great height. I 

 had a good look at her through my guide's glass ; she appeared to me 

 to be a larger bird than the one whose nest I had taken the day before 

 [§ 36], and my companion said so also. A few miimtes more brought 

 us just above the nest. It was built in the same place as when Mr. 

 Wolley, in 1851, saw it, situated about fifteen or twenty feet from 

 the top, and, on my reaching over, was, with the two eggs, plainly 

 visible. It was now about three o'clock. I did not go down into 

 the nest myself, but was contented with seeing a man do so ; for as 

 the eggs were not to be for our own collection, I did not feel very keen 

 about it, though there was no danger, and the man who was lowered 

 was up again in five minutes. He brought back, with the eggs, as much 

 of the lining of the nest as he could cram into the basket. One of the 

 eggs is white, the other — the finest, I think, I have ever seen — blotched 

 and spotted all over with two shades of lilac and reddish brown. Both 

 are larger and rounder than my former captures. At the top, just 

 above the nest, I found one old casting, apparently of hares' fur and 

 bones; and about fifty yards ofl", some large white splashes on a high 

 block of granite. No feathers either of the bird itself or its quarry. 

 This is the nest that Mr. Wolley had so often wished to be photo- 

 graphed with the bird upon it ; and indeed the operation would not be 

 difficult, as the distance across the ravine could not be more than 

 fifty yards or so. It was somewhat like a crack or rent, and had, so 

 to speak, perpendicular sides, though of course in many places small 

 landslips had occurred, which caused ledges. On one of these the nest 

 was. At the bottom were a few trees. Birch and old Scotch Fir. The 

 hill down which the ravine ran was a gentle slope, covered with short 

 white lichens. My guide told me that he once shot an Eagle from 

 this nest; and on another occasion some one else missed one; but 

 who, I do not remember. On our return home, we came in sight of 

 seven or eight Stags, which were feeding near the bridle-path. The 

 dogs were slipped, and we had a very good chase. They singled out 

 one wretched beast, and had the speed of him all the way ; how- 

 ever, though they made several attempts to catch hold of him, it was 

 not until he reached a small burn at the bottom of the valley that he 

 turned to bay, and was at once pulled down. A gillie then cut the 

 Stag's throat, and the hounds got w^ell blooded. The head was after- 

 wards cut off, but was not worth having, the horns being only a foot 

 long. That evening I blew the eggs, which seemed to have been sat 

 on about half their time." 



