226 HALIAETUS ALBICILLA. 



habitation for themselves. For this reason, most of the wan- 

 dering individuals that have been shot at great distances from 

 the breeding places, have been young or immature birds. The 

 male and female remain together through the winter, when 

 they generally search for food in company. Toward the middle 

 of spring, they begin to construct their nest, which is of great 

 size, being about five feet in diameter, flat, and composed of 

 sticks, twigs, heath, often dried sea-weeds, as well as tufts of 

 grass, wool, and other materials. The eggs, two in number, 

 rarely one, are about the size of those of a domestic goose, but 

 broader, pure white, or yellowish-white, generally with some 

 pale red dots or spots chiefly at the larger end. From never 

 finding the eggs exposed, I have thought that the male sits 

 upon them in the absence of the female, although this is mere 

 conjecture, and I am not aware of any positive observations 

 that have been made on the subject. The young make their 

 appearance about the beginning of June, and are then covered 

 with down of a greyish-white colour. They are plentifully 

 supplied with food, and grow rapidly, but do not leave the 

 nest until the middle of August, when they are enticed abroad 

 by their parents, who continue to supply them with food for 

 many days. 



During the breeding season, these birds, in places where 

 they are numerous, are subjected to much annoyance, and fre- 

 quently fall victims to the vengeance of shepherds and farmers. 

 There are few places that can be selected by them altogether 

 beyond the reach of man ; for even when the nest has been 

 built on the face of a precipice, it may usually be got at by let- 

 ting down a person on a rope, or even by creeping along some 

 crevice or sheep-path, or it may be within shot from the base 

 of the rocks, or some projecting crag. I have been within 

 three yards of an eagle upon her nest, and yet, from the peculiar 

 nature of the spot, was unable to shoot it, and indeed hardly 

 escaped with my life, for, after the bird had flown off, and the 

 excitement of hope was over, I began to consider how I should 

 return, and finding myself on the brink of a perpendicular rock 

 five hundred feet high, with an abrupt slope above me, and a 

 dangerous slanting descent of several hundred yards to accom- 



