AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. 5$ 



1840 I recollect seeing a large bird soaring above Stravithie 

 Wood and Prior Moor — all woods and moorland wilds then — 

 which was set down by myself and others as a golden eagle. 

 The snow was on the ground at the time. About thirty years 

 ago another two were seen in the vicinity of Mount Melville 

 and Drumcarrow Craig. Several people tried to shoot them, 

 but could not get within range ; and, from observation noted at 

 the time, they were a pair of golden eagles. But, although out 

 of their latitude in Fife, yet when we consider that the Ochils 

 and Sidlaw mountains, with the Grampians towering up beyond, 

 are easily seen from Drumcarrow Craig, and calculating the 

 great distance the golden eagle could fly — about a hundred miles 

 in an hour — (the peregrine falcon can fly one hundred and fifty 

 miles an hour), there is nothing improbable, or even singular, in 

 his being seen soaring above our lowland Fifeshire. He might be 

 with us the one hour, the next hovering above the peaks of 

 Ben Ledi or Benvenue, or sweeping down the glens of Braemar ; 

 although, as a rule, the golden eagle seldom strays far from his 

 native haunts — unlike the white-tailed sea eagle, which is of a 

 more roving disposition. As the two solitary vultures already 

 noted are set down as O.V. in the British birds, so have I set 

 down these three golden eagles as O. Y. in my list of St Andrews 

 birds. Although the name golden is not altogether appropriate, 

 as already remarked, still, his dark brown body may be said to be 

 bound with gold — from the pale yellow cere and dark yellow 

 iris which encircles his fiery and piercing eyeball, down to the 

 golden hue which peers through the feathers that clothe his 

 powerful tarsus to the feet ; the toes also, to their very extremity, 

 where they join the long black retractile claws, are rich yellow. 

 The elongated orange-coloured feathers on the head and neck of 

 this striking, bold-looking bird, also fringed with deep yellow, 

 gives him a noble if not altogether a golden appearance. 



" Yet looks he like a king ; behold his eye 

 As bright as in the eagle's, lightens forth 

 Controlling majesty." — Richard II. 



While his powerful wings, alert and fearless demeanour, give 

 him all the proud look which indicates strength and daring, and 

 entitles him not only to the stamp but the golden rank of being 

 king of the feathered tribe — at least on the same principle that 

 the lion is said to be the king of the forest — not on account of 

 his size, intelligence, or usefulness, but for that half mesmeric, 

 unlovable power of being able to strike down others, and a 

 nameless feeling in man to associate greatness with the power 



