3/8 MR. H. E. DRESSER ON THE BOOTED EAGLE. [June 26, 



us from an old dead tree, flew noiselessly into a gloomy-looking 

 thicket. 



Manuel took me to the nest of Aquila pennata from which Lord 

 Lilford procured his first eggs of this bird ; but as it showed no 

 signs of being tenanted we did not attempt to climb the tree. 



Not far distant from this tree we found a nest of the Black Kite 

 (Milvus migrans), from which we scared the bird, and therefore had 

 reason to suppose that it contained something, probably eggs. How- 

 ever, the tree was one which promised such an amount of hard work 

 that neither of us considered a couple of eggs of Milvus migrans a 

 sufficient inducement to attempt to climb it. We therefore pro- 

 ceeded to force our way through the rank undergrowth, keeping a 

 good look-out for nests, and before long were rewarded by seeing a 

 large nest which Manuel thought looked like that of a Booted Eagle. 

 I carried only a walking-stick gun, for the benefit of the warblers, 

 sparrows, &c. ; so Manuel posted himself close to the tree with his 

 gun cocked, and I proceeded to kick the tree by way of giving the 

 tenant of the nest notice to quit. I had not to kick long ; for the 

 next moment a large 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 conso- 

 lation 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 en- 

 tirely of thin sticks, twigs, and some dead bramble-branches, and 

 was lined to the depth of about 2 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 re- 

 main fresh over the day. In diameter the nest was two spans and 

 a knuckle (19| inches) outside, and just one span (9\) inside, not 

 much depressed inside, and rather bulkily built. In the foun- 



