WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. 175 



beneath.* Here he resides constantly at one 

 season, or he finds a safe shelter during the night, 

 after his more extended hunting excursions ; his 

 screams scarcely sound above the noise of the 

 surge below, or the storm which may rage around 

 the rocky pinnacles ; but the occasional shriek 

 heard in a moment of quiet, tells forcibly on the 

 imagination while viewing such scenes, and the 

 noble bird himself alone attracts the eye amidst 

 the numerous sea-fowl his companions, his pale 

 grey tinted plumage and pure outspread tail, 

 being marked objects, when opposed to the dark 

 green sea, or the deep and rich shades of many 

 of these splendid precipices. In such situations 

 the eyries are most frequently found, and the 

 nest is there reared, and the young are hatched 

 in safety, notwithstanding the bribes offered for 

 their destruction. The nest is also sometimes 

 placed in more inland sites. The precipitous 

 crags overhanging some alpine loch are often 

 chosen, and such is " Eagles' Crag," among the 

 lakes of the English border, and the " Eagle's 

 nest," at Killarney. Trees are also selected, 



* Such situations, according to Mr Thopmson, are the 

 most commonly selected eyries in Ireland, and there the 

 Sea Eagle seems far from being rare The Horn-head, 

 Malin-head, the extreme northern point of Ireland, 

 Achil-head, and Fair-.head, a basaltic promontory in An- 

 trim, are among its maritime stations ; and they breed 

 inland among the Mourne mountains. 



