16 HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND 



period of covering the eggs, but the stalker who was with 

 me at the time was emphatic that the eagle, during her 

 six weeks of close sitting, invariably became lighter in 

 her plumage. In the ordinary course of events the young 

 eagles have their plumage of dark brown, almost black, 

 feathers, while the veterans wear a dress of light tawny 

 colour. 



The nest of the Golden Eagle is a structure of consider- 

 able size, and with every year of its tenancy becomes 

 increasingly bulky. If built on a tree, its foundations 

 usually consist of large fir branches, some of them as thick 

 as a man's wrist, while towards the top of the nest green 

 branches from the same species of tree are also utilised. 

 These branches are invariably pulled from the pine itself 

 by the eagles, as a dead branch is never used for the top 

 of the nest. In nine eyries out of ten one finds, lining the 

 shallow depression that is to receive the eggs, leaves from 

 a grass-like plant known to scientists as Luzula sylvatica. 

 I remember how, as a small person, this plant used to be 

 pointed out to me as the Sword grass. As to the correct- 

 ness of this term I am in doubts, but certainly the edges 

 of the grass are sharjD out of the ordinary, and if they are 

 drawn across the hand they cause blood to flow. Some- 

 times Luzula sylvatica is used as a lining along with dried 

 fronds of the bracken, and I have seen an eyrie containing 

 not a leaf of Luzula. I must say, however, that in this in- 

 stance the nest was built on an open hillside, with no woods 

 anywhere in the vicinity, so the eagles had little oppor- 

 tunity of gathering the " grass " which grows as a rule 

 in sheltered and wooded localities. A few sprays of the 

 Cranberry — Oxycoccus — and the Crowberry — Empetrum 

 nigrum — ^usually complete the furnishing of the home. 

 The eagles are fond of decorating their eyries. On more 

 than one occasion I found a bamboo cane in the nest, and 

 once a red rubber ring. A pair of eagles which had a 



