HALI^ETUS ALBICILLA. 55 



nest I had seen, some five feet by four, and perfectly firm. I stood 

 in it ; and " Watch," my dog, followed me. A low rock on one side 

 completely overlooked it. Altogether it was the seat of a fearless, 

 undisturbed tyrant. Much sedge or Luzula grew near ; and the 

 rocks about had a warm comfortable look, as is usual near Eagles' 

 nests. I vowed vengeance, and everybody said it was "a dirty 

 trick;" for the fox-hunter's servant declared that he had visited it 

 several weeks before, and then thought it was inhabited, but that 

 it was the surviving Eagle of the last year that frequented it. I 

 accepted this explanation, though nevertheless, for various reasons, 

 had my doubts. On 21st May I had put up a single Eagle from near 

 this spot, and soon afterwards saw, I believe, four soaring together, 

 with a Raven bullying them. Mr. Dunbar, another day, saw four 

 together here. 



The following year I heard from the person who, according to 

 Mr. Charles St. John (Tour in Sutherlandshire, i. 16), "looked 

 like a spider hanging at the end of its thread " when being lowered 

 after a Peregrine's nest, that early in May he was told by a shepherd 

 that the Eagle had her nest in the place I have just described. My 

 informant wished him not to allow anybody else to touch the eggs, 

 and made an appointment to meet him two days after and take them ; 

 meantime a boy from a neighbouring farm forestalled him, and sold 

 them to my correspondent, from whom I now have them. My in- 

 formant was greatly disappointed, and suspected that the same thing 

 had happened the year before, when I was foiled in my attempt. 



A forester, in 1849, wanted to take me to some nests at the back of 

 another mountain ; but I declined from want of time, and foolishly, 

 for I afterwards drew it blank [§ 48] . They were said to be White- 

 tailed Eagle's. Some other likely districts also I had not time to 

 try; but I went, 11th May, in a crazy little boat on Loch Maddie 

 to visit the nest which Mr. St. John describes {ojj. cit. i. 37) as an 

 Osprey's. It turned out to be an Eagle's — I believe a White-tailed 

 Eagle's, both from the accounts of the people and from the appear- 

 ance of the nest, which was very diflFerent from an Osprey's, but just 

 like that of an Eagle, lined with Luzula, kc. I found lying near it 

 fresh Eagles' feathers, but it was untenanted. I saw an Eagle flying 

 near the loch in the evening, persecuted as usual. I took the eggs 

 of a Hooded Crow from a nest in the same tree, near the top. 

 The Eagle's nest was low down, four or five feet from the ground, 

 lying on the trunk and horizontal branches. The tree was living, 

 and, if I remember right, an Alder. On another island farther north 

 in the same loch is a similar nest, but older, equally low down, and 



