AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. 23 



tion, principally heather, untouched this year. Another nest, between 

 this and the inhabited one, was very easy to climb into. I went quite 

 into it, and found a couple of young raspberries growing a foot or 

 two high out of the middle of the old heather-stalks ; it could not have 

 been used for several years. The rock behind it was overplumb to a 

 considerable height, and the nest was placed in an angle. All the 

 nests were on the side of the den facing the east, which happened to 

 be the steepest. 



The one egg was pinkish in colour and slightly soiled. On blowing 

 it the same evening, we found that it was addled, though so little stale 

 that it could not have been laid a very long time. It floated in water 

 with a small part above the surface. In attempting to account for its 

 condition we were much puzzled. It had been seen nearly a week 

 before ; and several days before that, it was not laid. 



§ 29. 0;?e.— Scottish Highlands, 1849. From Mr. L. Dunbar's 

 Collection. 



This finely-marked egg was taken by a shepherd, and came into my 

 possession 4th May, 1851, in its present mutilated state. 



10th February, 1856. I have this day finished mending the above- 

 mentioned egg, strengthening it with many strips of strong yet thin 

 paper secured by the best gum-arabic ; also with a brace made of a 

 Hooper's-pen quill laid across inside. It had previously been very 

 rudely mended with poor paper laid on apparently with paste, for 

 insects had eaten it. 



[This egg, in its present condition, is a model of Mr. WoUey's care and skill 

 in treating a valuable specimen. About two-tliirds of it remain ; but as this 

 includes a complete '' show siuface," it has every appearance of being quite 

 perfect as it lies in the drawer.] 



^ 30. Two. — Sutherlandshire, 17 April, 1852. 



O. W. tab. ii. fig. 3. 

 These two beautiful eggs reached me in London on the day on 

 which, three years before, I took the exquisite pair [§ 26] since figured 

 by Mr. Hewitson. They were packed with wool and oat-chafl" in a 

 small box with lid and bottom too thin ; so that one of them got 

 cracked on its journey. The iusides were quite moist when I examined 

 them, as though the eggs were just blown. They were very clean 

 both inside and out ; and I had particularly desired my correspondent 

 not to wash them outside. The cracked one, in the process of mending, 

 I have been obliged to touch a little with water. I found the colour 

 (which was slightly " smudged ") comes off very easily. The other egg 



