WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. 87 
HALIAETUS ALBICILLA. 
WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. 
(PuatE 2.) 
Aquila albicilla, Briss, Orn. i. p. 427 (1760); et auctorum plurimorum—(Linneus), 
(Gmelin), Pallas, (Cuvier), (Naumann), (Temminck), (Sharpe), &c. 
Aquila albicilla minor, Briss. Orn. i. p. 429 (1760), 
Aquila ossifragra, Briss. Orn. i. p. 487 (1760). 
Vultur albicilla [misspelt albiulla], Zinn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 123 (1766). 
Falco ossifragus, Zinn, Syst. Nat. i. p. 124 (1766). 
Falco albicilla (Zinn.), Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 253 (1788). 
Falco albicaudus, G'mel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 258 (1788, ex Briss.). 
Falco hinnularius, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 15 (1790, ex Charl.). 
Falco pygargus, Daud. Traité d’Orn. ii. p. 62 (1800, ex Briss.). 
Haliztus nisus, Sav. Syst. Ois. de ? Egypte, p. 26 (1810). 
Aquila leucocephala, Wolf, Taschenb. i. p. 16, pl. 4 (1810, nec Linn.). 
Haliaétus albicilla (Linn.), Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. Sc. Brit. Mus. p. 9 (1816). 
Falco albicilla borealis, Faber, Isis, 1827, p. 56. 
Haliaetus brooksi, Hume, Ibis, 1870, p. 438. 
Although the White-tailed or Sea-Eagle is far commoner in the British 
Islands than the Golden Eagle, still it is an inhabitant of the wildest and 
most secluded districts alone. Owing to incessant persecution it may now 
be fairly said to be extinct in England and Wales, save only as a rare 
straggler. In the British Islands Scotland is the home of the White- 
tailed Eagle. It breeds pretty regularly throughout the wild rocky islands 
of the Hebrides and the Western Isles, being particularly numerous on 
the rugged coasts of Skye, one of its most famous eyries being on the 
rocks known as “ Macleod’s Maidens ” on that coast. Other eyries are in 
Kigg, Scalpa, North Uist, Benbecula, the Shiant Islands, Rum, and Canna. 
On the mainland it is much less numerous, although there are several 
breeding-stations in the wild districts of the west, from the Mull of 
Galloway to Cape Wrath. Ailsa Craig once contained an eyrie of this 
species, likewise the Mull of Oe, Bolsa, and the Bass Rock ; but they have 
now been deserted for some years, only visited by a passing bird, attracted 
thither, it would seem, by old associations. Formerly this species was 
abundant in England, and bred in many suitable situations round the 
coast ; but now its presence is for the most part confined to birds of the 
year, and adults on migration. Among the localities formerly frequented 
by this species in the breeding-season in Englandmay be mentioned 
Lundy Island, the Isle of Wight, the Lake district (so recently as 1835), 
