560 



10 



which it frequently feeds. Mr. Collett informs me that almost every large breeding-place of 

 sea-fowl is also inhabited by a Sea-Eagle, preying at pleasure on his weaker neighbours, who 

 appear to take but little heed of the danger which continually threatens them. 



The cry of this Eagle is a clear, shrill yelp, which in still, fine weather may be heard at a 

 considerable distance, being much louder and shriller than the scream of the Golden Eagle. It 

 would appear that so soon as the young are full-grown they disperse, and lead a wandering life 

 for some time, the old birds remaining throughout the year in the same locality. 



The Sea-Eagle is rather an early breeder, and, it would seem, breeds much earlier in the 

 south of Europe than in the more boreal countries. The nest is placed either on a bare rock or 

 else in a lofty tree ; in the latter case it prefers a tree which has but few branches except at the 

 summit, a pine tree being usually selected where these trees are common. Usually the nest is 

 built in the vicinity of the coast ; but Mr. Collett informs me that a nest was found in Ssetersdal, 

 Christiansand Stift, fully sixty English miles from the sea, in which, he adds, a fresh mackerel 

 was found. I saw a nest not far from the Danube, in Wallachia, in a locality, however, very far 

 from the coast. Several nests I have examined in different parts of Europe were all rather 

 heavy structures, composed of sticks, lined with dried grass and moss. Mr. Collett describes a 

 nest found by him at Salsvand, in Namdalen, Norway, as follows : — " The nest was 3 feet high, 

 and measured about 6 feet in diameter. At the top it was almost flat, the exterior being com- 

 posed of bare fir branches about an inch thick. The inside was lined to the very edge with a 

 thick layer of moss, straws, dry grass, stalks of Calluna vulgaris and Empetrum, and even Fucus 

 vesiculosus, in spite of the distance from the sea being over three miles." Some most excellent 

 notes on the breeding of this Eagle may be found in the ' Ootheca Wolleyana,' to which work I 

 may refer my readers for the best information I know of respecting the nidification of this 

 species in Scotland. Judging from these notes the eggs are usually deposited late in April or 

 early in May, two eggs forming the full complement. I possess eggs from Greenland, Pomerania, 

 and Hungary, all of which are pure white, the shell being somewhat rough in texture ; and in 

 size they vary from 2f^- by 2^-g- inch to 2f § by 2^§ inch. Some of the continental naturalists say 

 that the eggs of the Sea-Eagle are occasionally slightly spotted and marked with colour; but out 

 of numbers I have seen I never saw a single one with any mark on it, except from nest-stains. 



The specimens figured are, on the one Plate an adult bird now living in the Zoological 

 Society's Gardens, and a nestling from Hungary, and on the second Plate an immature female 

 from Greenland — the two latter, as well as the adult birds described, being in my collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mm. H. E. Dresser. 



a, j ad. Sarepta, January (H. F. Moschler). b, ? ad. Sarepta, February (H.F. M.). c,juv. Denmark, 1864. 

 d, 2 juv. Greenland {A. Benzon). e,pull. Banat, Hungary, April 25th, 1870 {Hodek). 



E Mus. Brit. Beg. 



a, pull. Orkneys {Bullock), b, ad., c,juv. Shropshire {Bullock), d, ad. Kent {Col. Montague). e,f. Green- 

 land {Dr. W. Durrani), f, ad., g, h, i,juv. Greenland {Holboll). 



