AQUILA CHRTSAETUS. * 31 



we had arrived nearly at a level with the nest, and about two hundi'ed yards 

 from it, my guide, with his telescope, spied the old bird's head as she was 

 sitting on her eggs ; but as she saw us she drew it in, and he had not time 

 to hand me the glass before the forester gave a shout, and out sailed the first 

 wild Golden Eagle I ever saw. She was almost immediately lost to view by 

 fljdng round to the eastward. We remained quite still, and in about five 

 minutes she appeared again, high over the top of the mountain. My guide at 

 first thought this bird was the male, but aftei-wards felt certain it was the same 

 as had flown from the nest ; and this, both my companions agreed, was the hen. 

 She made one or two circles, much after the manner of a Rough-legged 

 Buzzard, and then, closing her wings, descended to within two hundred feet 

 of the nest, when, catching a glimpse of us, she soared away again to the east- 

 ward. We then proceeded onwards, crossing the gorge or ravine, where we 

 sank almost up to the middle in the snow with which it was filled. Coming 

 out on the other side, our path was only a narrow ledge of perhaps eighteen 

 inches wide along the face of the rock, a steep cliff of a hundred feet or so. 

 The forester was first, I was second, and my guide last. This nan-ow ledge 

 led quite into the little cave where was situated the nest, which, as we roimded 

 a corner of the rock, opened to view. There were three eggs, one spotted and 

 splashed with light red, and in look much like some eggs of a Spoonbill, 

 another was suffused over the small end with reddish brown, and the third 

 was nearly white. The cave was about five feet high, perhaps the same in 

 depth, and six or eight feet wide. The nest occupied the whole of it, and, 

 being some eighteen inches or two feet thick, obliged us to crawl in. Once 

 in, however, we coidd all three sit upright, side by side, with om- heels hanging 

 over the precipice. The nest appeared to have been of late well repaired with 

 fresh heather-stalks, small Scotch-fir boughs, and thick stems of coarse grass, 

 with pieces of wool, possibly picked up by accident while sticking to the heather. 

 Inside it was lined with grass and a little moss, with a sprig of mjTtle and one 

 of juniper. It was very flat, the hollow not more three inches deep, and about 

 a foot in diameter. There were a few of the old bird's feathers Ijdng about, 

 which, together with the lining, I brought away. The three eggs were placed 

 in a peculiar figm-e ; if I remember right, like this '^^^ , with their small ends 

 all pointing towards the entrance. On the roof of the cave were a few small 

 ferns. The first thing we did was to drink to Mr. Wolley's safe return fi'om 

 Lapland, and the health of the Eagles, and then to smoke our pipes. When 

 we had been there a quarter of an horn- or so, an Eagle, which my guide de- 

 clared was the male, came again in sight, soaring at a gi'eat height above us, 

 and was soon lost in the mist, after which we saw no more of either of the 

 birds. The view at firat was very fine. We waited about a quarter of an 

 hour longer, when, a mist coming over the top of the mountain, my guide 

 thought it prudent to begin our descent ; and before we were halfway dowTi 

 the nest was hidden in the clouds. But as we were coming down he called 

 out, ' Aye, but there's a mon looking down at us ! ' I glanced upwards, and 

 there was the appearance of an enormous human figure in a Highland bonnet 

 stooping and looking over the precipice. I saw the joke at once, and laughed, 

 whereupon he was pleased to remark, ' Aye, but you're no' to be cheated. 

 Mind, Donald, ye ca' that "Newton's stane." ' We reached home about nine 

 o'clock ; and I attempted to blow the eggs that n'ght, but found them so hard 

 sat on that I papered them up, and left them till I got to Elveden."] 



