WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. 15 



precipice, and for a trifling remuneration brought up the young 

 birds. 



" After a fatiguing scramble up the sides of the mountains we 

 arrived at the place from whence we could see the eyrie beneath; 

 the distance was so great that the young eagles appeared no larger 

 than pigeons; after placing us in a secure situation on a projecting 

 edge of the rock that commanded a view of the scene of action, 

 Thomson left us, carrying his rope in his hand, and disappeared 

 for upwards of half an hour; when to our great joy we discovered 

 him creeping on his hands and knees up the spiry fragment on 

 which lay the unfledged eaglets; when knowing he was then in our 

 sight, he knelt at the top, and looking towards us, waved his hat. 

 At this time it was impossible to see the situation he was in 

 without trembling for his safety; the slender point of the rock 

 on which he knelt was at least 800 feet above the surges of the 

 Atlantic, which with unbroken violence were foaming beneatli 

 him. Yet he deliberately took from his pocket a cord, and tying 

 the wings of the young birds, who made some resistance with 

 their bills and talons, he put them into a basket, and began to 

 descend, and in a few minutes the overhanging masses of stone 

 hid him from our view. The old birds were in sight during the 

 transaction, and made no attempt to defend their young; but 

 soaring about a quarter of a mile above, occasionally uttered a 

 short shrill scream, very different from their usual barking noise. 

 Had they attempted a rescue, the situation of the climber would 

 have been extremely dangerous, as the slightest deviation or false 

 step would have precipitated him into eternity a misfortune that 

 a few years since befel his brother on the same spot when in his 

 company. After waiting in a most painful state of suspense for 

 near an hour [during which interval ' Wooley ' can hardly be 

 supposed to have been fortifying himself from a qnaich under the 

 overhanging rock], our climber suddenly made his appearance, 

 and laughing, presented his prize." Mr Bullock, who, it is to be 

 hoped, substantially rewarded the pluck of this adventurous 

 fellow, then proceeds to say " In the isle of Hoy we discovered 

 all the species of British eagles except the Osprey; they are 

 extremely numerous, and are the greatest pest of the poor 

 inhabitants, frequently carrying off their lambs, pigs, and poultry. 

 Near the nest of one we found the remains of several lambs, and the 

 legs of forty-eight fowls were found near another. It is but a few 



