The Zoologist— July, 18C7. 805 



bird flew off" the nest and was instantly knocked over by Manuel. It 

 fell into a large bramble brake, into which we had some trouble to 

 penetrate, but on doing so found a splendid female booted eagle, which, 

 being only winged, showed fight, and gave us some trouble before we 

 secured it. 



Having secured our bird, we proceeded to examine the tree, which 

 I had to climb, having agreed with Manuel that I should take the first 

 and he the second. The tree was a huge and very high white elm, 

 almost too thick to swarm up, and there was not a bough of any sort 

 for a great height from the ground. Not getting much consolation 

 from looking at the tree, I stripped to my shirt and trowsers and 

 proceeded to go up. At first I mounted with great difficulty, the tree 

 being so thick ; but making use of the old knots, &c, I managed to 

 get up until I could clasp the tree with some degree of ease, and was 

 then soon at the first branch. The nest was placed nearly at the end 

 of a stout limb at the top of the tree, and I had to rest several times 

 before I reached it, but on doing so was delighted to find that it 

 contained two eggs : these I carefully packed in a box that I carried 

 fastened behind me to my belt; and, sitting down in the nest itself, 

 proceeded to take notes ; for I always make it a rule to take up my 

 pencil and note-book with me. 



The nest was firmly placed between three branches, was built 

 entirely of thin sticks, twigs, and some dead bramble-branches, and was 

 lined to the depth of about two inches with fresh green leaves off the 

 tree itself: these must have been plucked that same morning; for 

 some, which I put into my collecting-box, were quite hard and dry in 

 the evening. This puzzled me not a little; for it looks as if the bird 

 relined the nest every morning, as the leaves would not remain fresh 

 over the day. In diameter the nest was two spans and a knuckle (19^ 

 inches) outside, and just one span (9j inches) inside, not much 

 depressed inside, and rather bulkily built. In the foundation of the 

 nest itself were two nests of Passer hispaniolensis, neither of which, 

 however, contained eggs, the one being only half finished. 



In the branches close to the eagle's nest were several more sparrows' 

 nests; and in a rotten limb a few feet below was a new nest of Picus 

 minor, and close to it an old nest of the same bird. The eggs of 

 Aquila pennata, which are now (with the exception of the nest-stains) 

 pure white, were, when quite fresh, white with a faint greenish tinge. 

 In shape and size they much resemble the eggs of Astur palumbarius; 

 but the shell is somewhat more coarse-grained. The above-mentioned 



