555 



records might be given of its past existence. But even at the present time stray specimens are 

 found wandering as far into the Firth of Clyde as Dunnoon — captures in such instances, however, 

 being confined to birds of the year after they have been thrown off by the old ones. Ailsa Craig, 

 formerly a breeding-station, is now only visited by a passing vagrant; and in Islay two well- 

 known eyries, one at the Mull of Oe the other at Bolsa, have for some years been entirely 

 deserted, although stray birds still visit the island. 



" In the eastern counties of Scotland this Eagle is usually met with in autumn ; and almost 

 all the specimens procured, from Berwick to Orkney, which I have seen or heard of, were 

 immature birds. At St. Abb's Head, in Berwickshire, a solitary Eagle is occasionally seen about 

 that season frequenting the precipitous cliffs, which are occupied in summer by large numbers of 

 Gulls, Razor-bills, and Guillemots. The stay of these stragglers, sometimes extending over a 

 period of two or three weeks, appears to be regulated by the supply of food, which consists 

 entirely of dead animals procured in the immediate neighbourhood. Fish of various kinds are 

 often thrown up by storms, and at once attract the Glaucous and Great Black-backed Gulls, 

 which are constantly prowling along the shores. During the Eagle's stay, however, they are 

 compelled to resign all the best fish to his exclusive use, and content themselves with a half- 

 putrid wolf fish (Anarrhiclias lupus) or sea-devil (Lophius piscatorius), numbers of which are 

 thrown overboard by the fishermen as useless, and in time are stranded on the beach. About 

 twenty miles north of this locality one or two Cinereous Eagles have been obtained in a much 

 quieter though perhaps more dangerous residence — the estuary of the Tyne, where, although an 

 abundant supply of both game birds and wild fowl could have been secured, the same partiality 

 for harmless plunder has characterized their visits. Lord Binning, who has for several years 

 closely observed the ornithological features of East Lothian and the neighbouring county of 

 Berwick, informs me that a female bird of this species ' was shot at Tyninghame, in December 

 1868, by Mr. Inglis, gamekeeper. It had been for several days in the fir-woods near the shore, 

 and appeared to have lived entirely on fish during that time, as three or four good-sized fish, in 

 various stages of decomposition, were found in its stomach. Though in good condition and 

 plumage, this was evidently not an aged or even an adult bird, as shown by the uniform dark 

 colour of the plumage, and the light colour of the bill.' 



" Between East Lothian and the eastern portion of Caithness there are a few occasional 

 resting-places for this species, but no permanent haunt until we reach the Orkney and Shetland 

 Islands. 'Formerly both Golden and White-tailed Eagles were very common, if not abundant, 

 throughout that northern group. Even at the time of Bullock's visit in 1812, their frequent 

 onslaughts on the farmyard apparently caused much anxiety among the inhabitants, who must 

 have appreciated in no small degree the laudable efforts of that early representative of the 

 British collector to reduce their number." 



In a footnote, Mr. Gray states that a keeper in Skye shot fifty-seven Eagles on a single 

 estate, and another in West Ross-shire shot fifty-two in twelve years, besides taking numbers 

 of both eggs and young. Captain Cameron, of Glenbrittle, also informed him that he had seen 

 as many as sixty-two Sea-Eagles killed in Skye ; and, as Mr. Gray justly remarks, no species of 

 Eagle could long survive such persecution. In Thompson's time it was to be met with in many 

 parts of Ireland ; but since then it has been greatly reduced in numbers, and, so far as I can 



