THE SEA EAGLE. 309 



hall, in the parish of Fogo, where it was kept in confinement 

 until the 30th of September 1886, when it clied.^ On the 

 7th of February 1877, a Sea Eagle in immature plumage 

 was shot near Bedshiel, in the parish of Greenlaw, of which 

 Mr. W. Smith, gamekeeper, Duns Castle, has given me the 

 following account. He informs me that a short time 

 previous to the above date he observed a large bird which 

 he supposed to be a Heron rise out of a ditch which leads 

 from tlie Hule Moss to Marchmont, but on looking at the 

 spot where the bird rose he found a hare lying on the 

 ground half-eaten, and it then occurred to him that the bird 

 which he had seen was an Eagle. About a week after- 

 wards, when he and his brother were out shooting rabbits 

 on Bedshiel and Hallyburton, they noticed a large bird at 

 some height in the air, approaching them from the north, 

 and as they conjectured that it was the Eagle, and would 

 be sure to alight upon the " Sappers and Miners' " pole, 

 which was not far from the place where they stood, they 

 lay down on the heather, when, as anticipated, the bird came 

 flying in the direction of the pole, and hovered over it. 

 They both had double-barrelled muzzle-loading guns, and 

 as the weather was wet, the caps on three of the barrels 

 missed fire, but the fourth, which was fired by his brother, 

 brought down the bird.^ He states that three other Eagles 

 were seen about the Dirringtons that season. 



The food of this species consists chiefly of carrion of 

 every kind, stranded fish, hares, rabbits, and winged game, 

 as well as the young of sea-fowl. 



The subject of our notice can be easily distinguished 



1 luformation from Mr. William Thompson, gamekeeper, Charterliall, on 

 the nth of October 1886. 



- The specimen here referred to was kindly presented by Sir Hugh Hume- 

 Campbell of Marchmont, Bart., to the Berwick Museum, where it may now be 

 seen. 



