A GOLDEN EAGLE. 17 



with a sudden rush of wings, the cock lit beside her on 

 the ledge (Plate 4). He had brought with him the 

 hindquarters of a rabbit, which he carried in one 

 powerful foot. As if satisfied that all was well, the 

 pair retired, and I took advantage of the interval to 

 remove and clean the lens, which had become clouded 

 by the mist and rain. The dark slides also were swollen 

 with the wet, and the shelter was dripping in several 

 places, while I myself, soaked more or less to the skin, 

 was sitting literally in a pool of water. 



At 2.30 p.m. the female returned again, and began to 

 remove the fouled, dirty sticks from the edge of the 

 nest (Plate 5), carrying them away in her powerful beak. 

 The Eaglet was now awake and watched her, squeaking 

 at intervals, while she performed this task. He was 

 evidently hungry, and had I waited longer I should pro- 

 bably have seen him fed. On this occasion, however, 

 she noticed the slight click of my shutter, and, unwilling 

 to disturb them further, I crawled out into the raging 

 storm half frozen and stiff with cold. On reaching the 

 lodge a welcome change and a plentiful repast awaited 

 me, and, the storm somewhat abating, I started for 

 home, noting that the tops of the higher hills were now 

 coated with snow. 



The next entry in my diary recalls to my memory 

 what was perhaps the most fearful storm which I have 

 ever seen in summer in the Highlands. It was the last 

 day of May, and the mist hung low to the foot of the 

 hills. It was raining in torrents, and it took me fully 

 four hours to reach the lodge. The rain now turned 

 to sleet, and a hurricane of wind rattled up the glen. 

 At 3 p.m. I became weary of inactivity and expressed 

 my intention of going alone to the eyrie to see if all was 

 well, being unwilling to ask anybody to accompany me 

 in such a storm. The young stalker, however, hearing 

 of my plans, joined me as I started, and we reached the 

 eyrie again at 4.30 p.m. The mist lay thick around us, 



