WHITE-TAILED SEA-EAGLE. 59 



ing torch ; Moffat Water, from its general shallowness, 

 and the nakedness and general character of its hanks, 

 offering unwonted facilities for this sport. The parties 

 had scarcely begun to search the pools, when they were 

 astonished with the strange noise that came ' splash, 

 splash,' upon them ; and soon a huge pair of wings ap- 

 peared, magnified by the uncertain light, and accom- 

 panied with other startling and unearthly noises. The 

 phenomenon floated past, almost among their feet ; and 

 the young men terrified, and impressed with the idea 

 that an apparition had appeared to warn them of the 

 danger of misspending the Sabbath day, left their sport 

 and returned home. The circumstance was kept a 

 profound secret, until the discovery of the cause of the 

 phenomenon relieved the youths from the fears which 

 it had excited." 



When it has young it provides abundantly for them, 

 and instances have occurred in the Hebrides of people 

 obtaining an additional supply of food, in times of scar- 

 city, by climbing or rather descending to its nest, which 

 is generally nearer the summit than the base of the cliffs. 

 I have never heard of its attacking a person when 

 robbing its nest; but I have been credibly informed of 

 two serious assaults made by it on individuals whom 

 it found in a perilous situation. A man, in the Island 

 of Lewis, having crept to the edge of a shelf overhang- 

 ing the nest of an eagle, was waiting the arrival of the 

 birds, for the purpose of shooting them, when one of 

 them sweeping silently along the top of the cliff", struck 

 him nnawares with its wing, although without produ- 

 cing any other effect than giving its enemy a sound 

 fright. Among some rugged crags at the lower end 



