its fellow, and in cases where three eggs are found one of them is almost 

 certain to be addled. They vary from 3' 15 to 272 inches in length, and from 

 2'5 to 2'2 inches in breadth. 



The eggs are hatched by the end of April or the first week in May, the 

 young being covered with snowy white down. If the eyrie be visited after 

 the young have been hatched for any time, the whole nest will be found 

 littered with fur, feathers, and bones, and generally one or two neatly plucked 

 carcasses of grouse, white hares, or ptarmigan, for the young to feed on. The 

 female sits very closely, and should she be shot or trapped, the male will 

 undertake the rearing of the young himself. 



In a few instances the nest of the Golden Eagle is built in a tree, but 

 this is usually the case where rocks are scarce. I have noticed, in connection 

 with the eyries of this bird, that in very few instances is the nest inaccessible ; 

 it is generally quite easily reached without the aid of a rope a marked 

 contrast to the eyries of the Sea Eagle and Peregrine, which are usually in 

 the most precipitous part of some stupendous cliff. 



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