WHITE-TAILED SEA- EAGLE. 77 



ving- been found in the Ilobridos. They are about 

 the size of those of a goose, but shorter, and of a yel- 

 lowish-white colour, with a i'vw reddish dots at the 

 large end. They do not appear to be left exposed at 

 any time ; at lea^it, on going to the neighbourhood, as 

 I have often done, I have always found the bird upon 

 the nest ; hence it is probable that the male sits when 

 the female is absent. So close indeed does the eagle 

 sit during incubation, that I have seen four shots fired 

 at one seated on her eggs, at the distance of about two 

 hundred yards ; nor did she stir until the last ball hit 

 the rock within a very few inches of her head. The 

 young are hatched about the beginning of June, and 

 are fed with fish, carrion of all kinds, grouse, and 

 other birds, until the middle of August, when they are 

 iully fledged. They are at first covered with down of 

 a whitish colour, and present a curious appearance. 



Young Bird fledged. — The bill is deep-brown 

 tinged with blue ; the cere and base greenish-yellow ; 

 the iris dark brown ; the feet gamboge ; the claws black- 

 ish brown. The head is deep brown, approaching to 

 umber ; the bases of all the feathers of the body white ; 

 on the hind neck, the whole feathers of that colour ex- 

 cepting the ends, which are deep brown ; this part, in 

 consequence, appears spotted with white. The ante- 

 rior and middle part of the back is light brown, the 

 tips of the feathers umber. Primaries brownish-black ; 

 tail greyish at its origin, deep brown, with an irregular 

 brownish-white patch along the inner webs. Fore- 

 neck, and anterior part of breast, brownish-white, 

 aspotted with umber; tibial region brown; lower taiU 

 c,ov<?rts whitish, tipped with deep brown. 



