Their Eggs and Nests. 41 



helplessly away. The Eagles did not attack her in 

 reality, though their fierce menaces made the spectators 

 tremble. Our boy readers if ever they found an 

 Eagle's nest, which is not likel}^, might well need the 

 protection of a good strong cudgel, fearlessly and skil- 

 fully wielded, before they succeeded in possessing 

 themselves of one of its eggs. — Fig. 1, plate I. 



SPOTTED EAGLE— (^^?///^ nccvia). 

 Met with in Britain once or twice only. 



WHITE-TAILED Y.KGi:E.—{Haliaetus albicilla). 



Called also Erne, Cinereous Eagle, Sea Eagle. — This 

 species — a member of another ge?ms^ however — like 

 the last, breeds amid high, almost inaccessible rocks, 

 in the mountainous solitudes of Scotland, and some of 

 the northernmost British Islands. The nest resembles 

 the Golden Eagle's, but is often more cushioned — 

 one can hardly say lined, when there is scarcely any 

 cavity or depression to receive the eggs — more 

 cushioned with soft material, such as heather or sea- 

 weed. This Eagle seldom lays more than two eggs, 

 which in ground-colour are like the Golden Eagle's 

 but not often noticeably marked with red. 



The White-tailed Eagle is much more frequently 

 seen south of the Border than the Golden Eagle. In 

 fact, a year rarely passes without some record of the 

 occurrence of this fine bird in more than one county 

 of England, and those by no means always the most 

 nortlierly. On the rabbit warrens of Norfolk and 

 Sufiblk they used frequently to be met with, and it 



