The Zoologist — November, 180G. 473 



Oniilholoyiciil Notes from Shetland. B)' H. L. Saxby, M.D. 

 (Continued from Zool. S. S. 293.) 



April, 1866. 



April 1 to 8. Wiiul N.E. Floclis of hoopers flying northwards. 



„ 8. Wind N.E. A male chaffinch seen. 



„ 13. 5, S.E. Lesser blackbacked gull first seen. 



„ 15. „ S.E. Wheatear first seen. 



„ 30. „ N.W. A few female chaffinches in the garden. 

 Whitetuiled Eayle. — I have just been informed that about the end 

 of March the pair of whitetailed eagles returned to their nest in Tetlar, 

 and commenced the usual repairs. At this season they appear to 

 wander more than at other times, and may often be observed soaring 

 over the Loch of Watlie or high above the Vallafiel Hills, but they are 

 very shy and scarcely ever venture within range of a gun. 



Golden Eagle. — On the 21st, while in the island of Balta, I saw the 

 golden eagle mentioned in m}' last communication (Zool. S. S. 291). 

 It was sitting upon the largest of a number of scattered rocks near the 

 edge of a cliff, and look wing the instant my head appeared above the 

 brae, which had until then screened me from view. Being quite un- 

 prepared I could not avoid some little loss of time, therefore the charge 

 of No. 2, fired at a distance of about eighty yards, only caused a 

 sudden clumsy sort of tumble for a iew feet, and then the bird rose 

 and dew steadily away, although the shot had rattled loudly upon its 

 thick plumage. We stood watching until it was completely lost in 

 the distance, my companion contemptuously remarking at intervals, 

 " That old thing a golden eagle !" and I mentally repealing his words 

 with a sort of spiteful relish, for in the first place the disappointment 

 was great, especially as this vvas was my first acquaintance with this 

 rare species, and in the second I had been sadly led astray by the 

 hackneyed descriptions of its noble appearance, majestic Wight, &c. 

 One does not like to discard a long-cherished idea at a moment's notice, 

 but had an enormous short-necked, ragged-winged, corpulent old crow 

 appeared before us at that same time it would scarcely have suffered in 

 our humble estimation by comparison with the "king of the feathered 

 tribes," The old copy-books originally remark that " Familiarity 

 breeds contempt," but upon that head very little need be said, for in 

 all probability the after meditations of the eagle were not particularly 

 complimentary towards poor wingless me and my dear old double- 



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