VOL. XIV 



1891. 



] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 433 



find that no less than seventy nests were collected during- the period of 

 exploration treated of by my notes. About flfty-flve of them were 

 built in the crotches of trees not far from the top, and at a height of 20 

 or 30 feet from the ground. They were composed externally of sticks, 

 twigs, and small branches, rather comfortably lined with hay, mosses, 

 <lowu, and feathers. The remaining fifteen were situated near the edge 

 of steep cliffs of shady rock on the face of deep ravines and on declivi- 

 tous river banks,and they were usually made of willow sticks and twigs, 

 but with a thicker lining of hay, moss, and other soft materials. The 

 eggs varied from three to five, never more than the latter number, and 

 their contents were like those of some other birds' eggs gathered by us, 

 in different stages of incubation in the same nest. The parents inva- 

 riably manifested great uneasiness and frequently gave utterance to 

 vociferous screams of anger and distress when their nests were ap- 

 proached. Early in June, 1864, one of our Indian employes found a 

 nest containing three eggs on a high ledge of bituminous shale, and, as 

 the rule was to secure the parent bird in all possible cases for identi- 

 fication, having missed killing both he placed a snare about the nest, 

 but on going to it later in tlie day he wasdisgusted at finding the snare 

 .set aside, the eggs gone, and the birds not to be seen ; but as there were 

 no shell remains he presumed that they had removed the eggs to a safer 

 l)Osition, wuich he, however, failed to discover. " Dozens," and not as 

 stated " hundreds," of skins of this species were forwarded by us to the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



349. Aquila chrysaetos (Liun.). Golden Eagle. 



From various points along the valley of the Anderson River to its 

 ■outlet in Liverpool Bay and from the mouth of the Wilmot Horton in 

 Franklin Bay, an aggregate of twelve nests of this eagle were obtained 

 by us in the course of the seasons from 1862 to 1865, inclusive. Ten of 

 this number were built against the face of steep and almost inaccessible 

 banks of shale or earth at a height sometimes of 70 or 80 feet, and from 20 

 to 30 feet below the summit. One thus examined, in 1864, was found to 

 beof considerable size, and it was composed of a large platform of built-up 

 twigs and sticks, having a bed of hay, moss, and feathers in the center, 

 and, as this and other similarly constructed nests appeared to be an- 

 nually renovated prior to reoccupation, they must ultimately assume 

 vast proportions. Pillaged nests are however frequently deserted for a 

 period, but in one instance where the female had been snared upon her 

 nest and the eggs taken it was found occupied the following season 

 probably by the widowed male with another mate. She was shot and 

 proved to be a mature bird. In two instances only were the nests con- 

 structed near the top of tall spruce pines ; the sandy nature of the soil 

 in their vicinity was not favorable for building on cliff's. But in no 

 case, however, did any of our party find or our collectors report having 

 seen a large accumulation of bones or other food debris on or in the 

 Proc. N. M. 91 28 



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