WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. 87 



HALIAETUS ALBICILLA. 



WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. 



(PLATE 2.) 



Aquila albicilla, Brigg. Orit. i. p. 427 (1760): et auctorum plurimorum (Linn&iu), 



(Gmetin), Pallas, (C'uvier), (Naumann), (Temminck), (Sharpe), &c. 

 Aquila albicilla minor, Brisa. Orn. i. p. 429 (1760). 

 Aquila ossifragra, Briss. Orn. i. p. 437 (1760). 

 Vultur albicilla ^misspelt albiulla], Linn. Syst. Sat. i. p. 123 (1766). 

 Falco ossifragus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 124 (1766). 

 Falco albicilla (Linn.}, Gmel Syst. Nat. i. p. 253 (1788). 

 Falco albicaudus, Gmel. Syit. Nat. i. p. 258 (1783, ex- Briss.). 

 Falco binnularius, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 15 (1790, ex Charl.). 

 Falco pygargus, Daud. Traite d'Orn. ii. p. 62 (1800, ex Briss.). 

 Haliaetus ni?us. Sac. Syst. Ois. de tEgypte, p. 26 (1810). 

 Aquila leucocephala, Wolf, Taschenb. i. p. 16, pi. 4 (1810, nee Linn.). 

 Haliaetus albicilla (Z/.), Leach, Syst. Cat. Ma mm. fyc. Brit. Mus. p. 9 (1816). 

 Falco albicilla borealis, Faber, Isis, 1827, p. 56. 

 Haliaetus brooksi, Hume, Ibis, 1870, p. 438. 



Although the White-tailed or Sea-Eagle is far commoner in the British 

 Islands than the Golden Eagle, still it is an inhabitant of the wildest and 

 most secluded districts alone. Owing to incessant persecution it may now 

 be fairly said to be extinct in England and Wales, save only as a rare 

 straggler. In the British Islands Scotland is the home of the White- 

 tailed Eagle. It breeds pretty regularly throughout the wild rocky islands 

 of the Hebrides and the Western Isles, being particularly numerous on 

 the rugged coasts of Skye, one of its most famous eyries being on the 

 rocks known as " Macleod's Maidens " on that coast. Other eyries are in 

 Eigg, Scalpa, North Uist, Benbecula, the Shiant Islands, Rum, and Canna. 

 On the mainland it is much less numerous, although there are several 

 breeding-stations in the wild districts of the west, from the Mull of 

 Galloway to Cape Wrath. Ailsa Craig once contained an eyrie of this 

 species, likewise the Mull of Oe, Bolsa, and the Bass Rock ; but they have 

 now been deserted for some years, only visited by a passing bird, attracted 

 thither, it would seem, by old associations. Formerly this species was 

 abundant in England, and bred in many suitable situations round the 

 coast ; but now its presence is for the most part confined to birds of the 

 year, and adults on migration. Among the localities formerly frequented 

 by this species in the breeding-season in Englandmay be mentioned 

 Lundy Island, the Isle of Wight, the Lake district (so recently as 1835) , 



