WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. 93 
others time-worn and bleached, and a few pieces of seaweed. It is lined 
with fine and coarse grass, a few leaves of the sea-campion, and one or 
two tufts of wool and turf, on which the two eggs, slightly dirty with 
nest-stains, lie so temptingly. Such is an average nest of the White- 
tailed Eagle. Sometimes, however, it is not so elaborately made, and the 
soft earth of the rock-ledge is almost the only bed on which the eggs 
lie; while yet again, when built on a tree, it is often of great size, and is a 
conspicuous object throughout the surrounding district.” 
Several instances are recorded of the Sea-Eagle breeding upon the 
ground, Herr Tancré describes a nest which he found upon the island of 
Hiddensoe, on the southern shores of the Baltic near Stralsund, on the 
naked meadow among the reeds. The nest was carefully made of sticks, 
and was about two feet high. Similar occurrences have been recorded 
from Jutland and the lagoons of Lower Egypt. 
The eggs of the Sea-Eagle are roundish in form, slightly smaller than 
Golden Eagle’s, and rather coarser in texture, and are pure white in 
colour; they vary from 3:3 to 2°75 inch in length, and from 2°4 to 21 inch 
in breadth. It is doubtful whether eggs of this bird ever have any true 
colouring-matter upon them, only a few brownish stains, received, in all 
probability, from the materials of the nest or the feet of the sitting bird. 
Although unspotted eggs of the Golden Eagle resemble eggs of this species, 
still the much coarser grain of those of the White-tailed Eagle serves as a 
sure guide by which to determine them. The young are hatched early in 
June, and are covered with greyish-white down, and remain in the nest some 
five or six weeks ere they are able to fly. 
There are instances where several eyries of this bird have been built very 
close together, even in Scotland. Although the birds breed so frequently 
on the ocean-cliffs, still each particular “ craig-an-Iolair” is otherwise 
deserted of bird-life, the Gulls and the Guillemots keeping at a respectful 
distance. Sometimes, however, a Peregrine Falcon’s nest is quite close to 
the Eagle’s; and the Raven will not unfrequently rear its young near at 
hand. 
When able to forage for themselves the young quit their parents’ com- 
pany and their birthplace for ever, becoming thorough wanderers, until, if 
fortunate, they reach maturity, pair, and select some craggy haunt, some 
sea-girt fortress or inland loch, as a castle for themselves, or retire to some 
forest. Although not, perhaps, strictly gregarious, these young birds often 
hunt at no great distance from each other, searching the hills and shores 
in search of carrion or weakly birds and animals. 
The upper plumage of the White-tailed Eagle is brown. The head and 
neck are paler, in very old birds almost white; the underparts chocolate- 
brown ; tail white ; bill, cere, irides, and feet yellow ; claws bluish black. 
The female resembles the male, but is somewhat darker, larger in size, 
