318 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



smooth, dull white, bruslied over with undefined pntches of brown, which are 

 most numerous at the larger end. This (lesciii)tion is not quite accurate in 

 rej^ard to size. The European egg is prcsumetl to be larger than the American, 

 yet the largest I have ever seen measures but 3.19 inches in length by 2.31 

 in breadth. An egg of the Kuropean bird in tlie British Museum, and 

 another represented in Hewitson's British Oiilogy, which closely resembled 

 it, were marked over the entire surface with small but distinct blotclies of 

 reddish-brown on a wiiite ground. One in my collection, taken in Scotland, 

 is nearly unmarked. A distinctly bhiish-white ground is faintly stained 

 with a few very obscine markings of slate and purplisli-brown. 



Mr. MacFarlane furnishes very full and interesting notes and observations 

 on the habits of our cnnailcnsis, as attentively .studied by him in the : eigh- 

 borhood of Anderson Jtiver, near the Arctic Ocean. Our limits will only 

 permit us to give a summary of his valuable memoranda. In a large 

 majority of instances the nests were l>uilt against the i'ace of a steep bank, 

 some sixty or seventy feet from tlie ground, and about thirty from the sum- 

 mit. They were very strongly constructed with dry sticks, usually of willow, 

 and formed a platform on the top, in tlie centre of which the eggs were 

 found on a bed comjjosed of moss, hay, and feathers. These platforms were 

 usually about six by seven feet, and ranged from ibur to six in lieight. It is 

 said to be " not very scarce in tliat quarter," and to be " a resident, in tlie 

 summer, of the entire Arctic coast and rivers." Mention is made of ten 

 nests observed l)y him, and eggs taken therefrom. In several instances these 

 eggs were wliite and unspotted, exciting liis doubts whether they might be- 

 long to the lintcoccplinlus. 



According to Mr. IMacFarlane they lend on ducks, mice, and other small 

 animals, partridges, and tlie fawn of the reindeer. In confinement they are 

 fierce and nearly untamalde, though they readily eat the food that is given 

 them, whether fi.sli or meat. Even wlien taken young from tlie nest they 

 evince the same fearless and intractable disposition. In one instance a 

 young female killed its older companion by piercing it with her talons. 

 When first observed, she was standing on and ])lucking tlie featliers from 

 the body of the .slain liird. This was tlie second bird tliis .same ferocious, 

 but comparatively tame, Eagle had thus destroyed. When the cage was 

 removed outside, tliough the weatlier was very cold, the Eagles did not seem 

 to mind it m.. h, but exercised themselves witli juirping off and on their 

 roo.sting-i)ole, and seemed very mucli interested in all that was taking place 

 w'ithin the Fort square. They kept their plumage in a cleanly conditio!'., 

 and were genertilly a A'ery clean liird in all respects. During the fhie weather 

 the Eagles were more lively than on other occasions. When feeding they 

 •'rooped both Aviiigs, and, if disturlied, arched tlicir necks and moved their 



(ids in a threatening manner, spreading out their tails like a fan. Tliey 

 grasped the meat or fish in the talons of either leg, and tore it with their 

 beaks. After feeding, they invariably removed any blood or other impurities 



