AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. 41 



birds he had robbed before. The egg is a very fine specimen, almost exactly 

 like the highest-coloured of the two in the last section ; and is further useful 

 as showing probably that it was the nature of this Eagle to lay her best egg 

 first; for I cannot doubt it would have been followed in a day or two by 

 another, had not the bird been molested.] 



[§ 51. 5"^^'o.— Ross-shire, 10 April, 1860. From Mr. Tristram's 

 Collection. 



O. W. tab. ii. fig. 1. 



Received by me from Mr. Tristram in the spring of 1860, with particulars 

 of the time and place of their capture.] 



[§ 52. O^e.— County Mayo, April 1860. 



This egg was given to me 24th September, 1860, by Mr, T. M. Birch, who 

 told me that it was brought to him, imblown, ^vitll two others, taken from the 

 same nest, towards the end of the preceding April. The hen bird was also 

 killed from the nest, the position of which was subsequently pointed out to 

 me ; and I afterwards had some conversation with the lad who shot her. Mr. 

 Birch sent her to be stuffed by Mr. Glennon, at whose shop in Dublin I saw 

 her, and from whom I obtained lier breast-bone (Osteoth. Newt. MS. Cat. 

 No. 256, e.). A remarkably fine bird, both from the coppery (not to say 

 golden) neck and marbled tail. An Eagle believed to be her mate was seen 

 and shot at (I am glad to say, ineffectually) by two gentlemen, who told me 

 of the circumstance, a few days before this egg was given to me. INIr. Birch 

 assured me that the other two eggs were as nearly as possible like this one — 

 at any rate not more coloured, except with dirt. He had given them to Mr. 

 Partridge and Mr. Richard Long-field. 



The district whence this egg came is described by Mr. Maxwell in his 

 ' WUd Sports of the West.'] 



[§ 53. ^^0.— Argyllshire, 22 April, 1861. "A. N. ijjse.'' 



0. W. tab. iv. fig. 4. 



These two eggs were taken by myself a few hours after, and on the same 

 day as, those mentioned in a preceding section (§ 39). After baiting the 

 pony, I continued along the road imtil I fell in with my guide, who had taken 

 a short cut over the moor. When we came nearly opposite the hill which 

 contained the nest, we struck across the moor. After fording the river, we 

 began to ascend the eminence, which was indeed but a slight one compared 

 with the lofty height to which we had but just before climbed. In the 

 morning we had seen more than a score of Beer on the very groimd we were 

 passing over ; but they had all moved away by the time we retiu-ned. The 

 hill has two knolls or simimits, on the most eastern of which, and facing the 

 north, the nest was situated. There was only a very little snow on the top. 

 Some years ago, an accomplished author and sportsman had tried to shoot the 



