BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 79 



EAGLE, WHITE-TAILED. Also SEA EAGLE. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about 

 twenty-eight inches. Beak somewhat lengthened 

 and nearly straight, except at the tip, where the 

 upper mandible is much hooked. It is very strong, 

 horn colour at the tip, and yellow at the base, as 

 is also the bare skin surrounding that part. Irides 

 very light yellow. Head and neck ash-brown, vary- 

 ing in hue with age ; back and wings dark brown, 

 a few lighter-coloured feathers being intermingled ; 

 wing-quills dusky-black. Tail white. Breast and 

 under parts dark brown. Legs and toes yellow ; 

 claws black. 



The female is larger than the male, and both 

 are subject to great variation in the colour of 

 their plumage. 



Situation and Locality. On ledges and in holes 

 of high inaccessible cliffs, generally near the sea ; 

 in a tree or upon the ground on a small rocky island 

 in the middle of a mountain loch. On the West 

 Coast of Scotland and the surrounding islands, and 

 in Ireland. 



Materials. Sticks, twigs, seaweed, heather, 

 grass, and wool. The nest is often a huge structure, 

 from the fact that the bird adds to it year by year. 

 Specimens have been known measuring as much as 

 five feet across. It is very shallow. 



Eggs. Two generally, sometimes only one ; and 

 upon exceptional occasions three have been found. 

 White, usually quite unspotted, but upon rare 

 occasions specimens have been found slightly 

 marked with pale red. Average size about 3*0 by 

 2-25 in. 



Time. March, April, and May. 



