Zoological Notes, by Andrew Brotherston. 185 



Mr T. Darling was fortunate in securing one of them, an imma- 

 ture male, the dimensions of which were — length, 29 inches ; ex- 

 panse of wings, 64 inches ; length of wing from flexure, 19 

 inches. 



Goosander and Eel. — On February 10th, 1877, I found in the 

 stomach of a Goosander, which was shot on the Tweed, near 

 Birgham, a partially digested Eel, about 16 inches in length. 

 Eels are generally supposed, where they have the opportunity, 

 to go to the sea during the winter, or at least to brackish water, 

 where the temperature never gets so low as where it is fresh, and 

 even when there they bury or hide themselves in the mud or 

 under stones during the winter. From finding this one in the 

 Goosander, on February 10th, it would appear that such is not 

 always the case — although it is possible that it might have been 

 caught near the sea — or the exceptionally mild weather at the 

 time, may have something to do with it. Goosanders have been 

 more than ordinarily abundant in this district during the past 

 winter. They were for the most part young birds. 



Golden Eagle {Aquila chrysaetos) in the Cheviots. — An im- 

 mature female — (the Ring-tail Eagle of Pennant) — was shot on 

 the 13th of February, 1877, by Mr A. Douglas, one of his Grace 

 the Duke of Roxburghe's gamekeepers, on Biglaw, one of the 

 Cheviots. It had been frequenting the district for about a fort- 

 night previously. Rabbits appear to have been its chief feeding 

 during that time ; a shepherd saw it drop one, which it was 

 carrying, and when I dissected it, the entrails of a rabbit and a 

 few bits of bone were all that the stomach contained. The bones 

 were apparently the indigestible parts of a former meal, while 

 the entrails seemed to have been eaten a very short time before 

 the bird was shot. So far as I can learn it was not disturbed 

 from its last meal, thus favouring the opinion that Eagles prefer 

 the intestines to the flesh of an animal. It was in excellent 

 plumage and condition, being very fat ; weight, IQ\ lbs. (would 

 be more when newly killed) ; length from bill to tail, 3 feet ; 

 wing from flexure, 2 ft. 3 in. ; expanse of wings, 7 ft. 3 in. ; tail, 

 15 in., extending 3 in. beyond the wings when closed. The num- 

 ber of scales on the different toes were — middle, four ; outer and 

 inner, three each ; hinder, three large and one divided in the 

 middle. The pointed feathers on the head and neck are bright 

 rust colour, lightest at the tips ; above and below the prevailing 



