40 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



errors and exaggerations which have crept into 

 some of our earlier histories are frequently attri- 

 butable to a want of care in this respect, *or too 

 great a share of credulity on the part of their 

 authors ; the verification of facts should be a grand 

 object with all who labour in the wide field of 

 Natural History ; and the observer who confines 

 himself even to one district, however limited, will 

 find ample materials for investigation and record, 

 without having occasion to press into his service 

 either apocryphal anecdotes or doubtful species. 



A sea eagle, in immature plumage, was shot 

 some years ago by the proprietor of the Dolphin 

 Inn, at Shoreham. It was observed preying on 

 a dead fish which had been thrown up by the 

 waves on the beach, and being gorged, was killed 

 without difficulty. In January, 1844, a sea eagle 

 was shot near Windmill Hill, in the parish of 

 Warding, and during the winter of 1841 a bird of 

 the same species was observed in the neighbour- 

 hood of Rottingdean for nearly a month ; he was 

 unusually wary, and generally haunted the banks 

 of a small sheep-pond on the high Downs, where 

 he could command a good view of an approach- 

 ing enemy ; and when the tide was out he would 

 appear on the shore in search of dead fish, always 

 keeping away from the cliffs, and taking prompt 

 alarm at an approaching boat, in which, perhaps 



