274 ON EAGLES. 



frequent prey is found in her eyrie than a young wild-duck 

 before it is able to fly. We can thus trace her partiality 

 for the moor-lochan or the sea-coast when choosing a habi- 

 tation for her young it is that she may feed them with 

 the flappers and wild-fowl nestlings so plentifully scattered 

 around, and so easily secured. When this supply fails, 

 she is often fain to content herself with carcasses left upon 

 the inland swamp, or cast up by the tide on the sea-shore. 

 Most likely to prey upon them is the great motive for her 

 winter wanderings when food grows scarce in the wilds. 



THE OSPREY 



The osprey, or water-eagle, frequents many of the High- 

 land lochs ; a pair had their eyrie for many years on the 

 top of an old castle in a small island on Loch Lomond. 

 I am sorry to say I was the means of their leaving that 

 ruin, which they had occupied for generations. 



It was their custom, when a boat approached the island, 

 to come out and meet it, always keeping at a most respect- 

 ful distance, flying round in very wide circles until the 

 boat left the place, when, having escorted it a considerable 

 way, they would return and settle on the castle. Aware of 

 their habit, I went, when a very young sportsman, with a 

 gamekeeper, and, having concealed myself behind the 

 stump of an old tree, desired him to pull away the boat. 

 The ospreys, after following him the usual distance, 

 returned, and, gradually narrowing their circles, the female 



