PANDION HALI.EETUS. 65 



eggs I took myself all at once on the niglit of 8tli May 1852, between 

 eleven and twelve o'clock. As it was very dark, and there was no 

 moon, I had the precaution to take my cousin along Avith me, and he 

 proved of great service. I took off my clothes, and put on my life- 

 preserver, attaching a cord to the back of it. By the help of a fusee 

 I was able to distinguish that the time I was about to launch my 

 carcase into the water was twenty-five minutes to twelve. I got over 

 quite safe. The cock bird flew away before I reached the island ; and 

 after I had climbed up to the top of the ruin, and was just at the 

 nest, I put out my hand to catch the hen, but when she felt me she 

 gave a loud scream and flew away also. On arriving at the island I 

 had fixed the cord to a bush ; and on coming back I had some diffi- 

 culty in finding it owing to the darkness of the night ; but when I did 

 so, I seciu-ed it to my belt and bawled to my cousin to pull, which he 

 did. In the middle I was taken with the cramp, but he succeeded in 

 hauling me out. After dressing we forded the river, which was very 

 high at the time ; and on going across with my cousin on ray back, 

 I stumbled, and doA\ai he went, but he managed to get on his feet ; 

 and this put an end to our adventures." 



In a former letter he had told me that these eggs were taken after 

 Mr. R. Gordon-Cumming had already been to the nest and taken 

 one egg. 



^85. One. — Inverness-shire, 1851. 



This egg, with another which I subsequently gave to Mr. J. D. 

 Salmon, was sent to me by the person from whom I obtained the 

 last two, but not fi'oni the same locality. He informed me that the 

 eggs were taken in 1851 by a shepherd, from whom he received 

 them, but that he himself had three times robbed the nest of this 

 pair of birds. The first year he took it from the ruins of a shooting- 

 lodge, the second from a dead Scotch fir tree, and the third year 

 (1850) from the old lodge again, when the hen bird was shot by one 

 of his relations, who lay in wait and shot it with a walking-stick gun, 

 in company with a gentleman, Mr. John Hancock, who sketched it 

 as it lay dead. In 1851 a new lodge was built, close against the old 

 one. There was another nest several years ago in a tree, which my 

 informant knew of, and made a drawing of it, as well as he could, for 

 the same gentleman. The following year my informant sent me an- 

 other egg of the Osprey, but from what locality he was unable to 

 make out. This egg is now in IVIr. J. P. "Wilmot's Collection. In 

 1851, I heard from another quarter that one of two Englishmen that 



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