204 BRITISH BIRDS 



Golden Eagle. 



Aquila chrysaetus. 



Head, back of the neck, and legs lustrous reddish brown the 

 rest of the body dark brown ; primaries nearly black ; secondaries 

 brownish black ; tail dark grey, barred and tipped with brownish 

 black ; beak bluish at the base, black at the extremity ; iris brown ; 

 cere and feet yellow ; claws bluish black. Length of male, three 

 feet. 



This noblest of the British birds of prey used at one time to 

 breed in some localities in England and ^^ r ales, but it has gradually 

 retreated farther and farther north, and is now restricted (as a 

 breeder) to the Highlands and the western islands of Scotland. 

 Fortunately, it now receives protection from the owners of large deer- 

 forests in its northern habitat, and there is reason to hope that it 

 will long continue to exist as a British species. 



This species is very dark in hue, and is known in Scotland as the 

 ' black eagle.' The colour is a very deep brown, the feathers of the 

 head and nape tinged with reddish gold hence its name of golden 

 eagle. It preys on hares, rabbits, grouse, ptarmigan, and other 

 birds, and occasionally destroys lambs and fawns, and will even 

 attack full-grown ewes and deer. 



The nest is a bulky structure of sticks, placed, as a rule, on a 

 crag, sometimes in a tree, and the same nest is used year after year. 

 Two or three eggs are laid, white or pale bluish green in ground- 

 colour, blotched, spotted, and clouded with reddish brown and 

 purple-grey under-markings. 



Owing to his great size, dark colour, and power of wing, this 

 eagle makes a very noble figure when flying. But he is noble in 

 appearance at other times as well, and in this he differs from many 

 of the larger species that are equally strong on the wing, or even 

 much stronger condors,, vultures, albatrosses, and others. These, 

 when they fold their pinions, lose all their majesty. But the 

 golden eagle has just as grand a presence when perched as when soar- 

 ing. The pleasure produced in us by the sight of this creature appears 

 to differ in character from that which we find in contemplating such 

 species as excel in elegance and grace, or in rich colouring the 

 mute swan glassed in the water it floats upon, and the peacock with 



