HIGHLAND HAUNTS OF EAGLES 177 



in her wake : a picture worthy of some famous 

 painter, we think. 



Another approach must be used to storm her 

 citadel ; a careful climb it must be, too, con- 

 sidering the elements. We do reach it, however, 

 and now for an examination. What do we find? 

 a huge, untidy structure of big heather branches, 

 lined with broken bits of dead bracken stems (no 

 wood-rush being present), and decorated on one 

 side with a large bunch of freshly -plucked crow- 

 berry. A good two feet in height, it spans fully 

 six feet across in its lowest foundations, which, 

 however, narrow up to a foot less on the level of 

 the " egg-basin." This is remarkably narrow and 

 shallow as indeed all eagles' nests are only 

 measuring 14 in. by 13 in. across, by about 3^ in. 

 deep at its lowest point. Save just this, most of 

 the nest is deep in snow : snow nearly always 

 wreathes the Highlands when the Eagle goes 

 to nest. 



Both eggs one being white and spotless, the 

 other shaded and smudged with pink, and both 

 stained from contact with the bird's plumage are 

 smashed, one irremediably, the other badly. The 

 keeper fancies that the Eagle has gripped them 

 with its huge talons, either in rage ; from being 

 numbed with cold, or from fear at so near an 

 approach. To us, though, it looks the wanton 

 handiwork of some passer-by, for even to the 

 unskilled cragsman this nest may be commanded 



