KEPORTS TO BE DISTRUSTED. 39 



eagle'' invariably tiiming out to be nothing more 

 than a young bird of the common species. Taking, 

 therefore, into consideration the imperfect state 

 of the science in Markwick's time, and the vague 

 and incorrect ideas on the subject of nomencla- 

 ture generally, which prevailed, indeed, to a much 

 later period ; bearing in mind also that the golden 

 eagle — the eagle to which he alludes — has appa- 

 rently never since been met with in the wild state 

 in Sussex, while the white-tailed — which he does 

 not even mention — has occurred in several in- 

 stances ; and remembering that Bexhill, where 

 his eagle was said to have been killed, is a village 

 on the coast between Pevensey Bay and Hastings, 

 and therefore a more probable locality for the sea 

 eagle ; I think we may fairly conclude that Mark- 

 wick's bird was in reality the Halioietus albicilla. 

 It is not without a considerable sense of disap- 

 pointment that I feel myself compelled conscien- 

 tiously to relinquish all claim to the golden eagle 

 as a Sussex bird ; but although I readily plead 

 guilty to a strong desire to open the door to as 

 many of our feathered visitors as can, from my 

 own personal knowledge, or on unquestionable 

 authority, be admitted to a place in our local 

 fauna, yet I am well aware of the extreme caution 

 with which all oral information respecting birds 

 or their habits should be received : the numerous 



