WHITE-TAILED EAGLi:. 91 



FoUart, in Skye, on which a number of Hooded and Carrion Crows and a 

 few of the larger Gulls were feeding. After surveying the carcase as he 

 sailed round it in the air for a few moments, he finally alighted a few yards 

 away, and then leaped forward to his meal. The Crows cleared out of his 

 way, retiring to a little distance to watch his operations; while the Gulls, 

 in light bouyant flight, hovered above or alighted on the sands, apparently 

 waiting patiently for his departure. Before he had well settled down to 

 his meal, however, a shepherd, whistling to liis dogs on the cliffs near by, 

 disturbed him, and he rose into the air with a large piece of the almost 

 putrid flesh in his talons, and flapped lazily away over the loch towards 

 Dun vegan Head, leaving the Gulls and the Crows in undisturbed possession 

 to quarrel over their prize. Keen of sight as this Eagle is, still one is 

 almost led to think that the Raven and the Crow are possessed of sharper 

 powers of vision ; for very frequently indeed it is led to its meal by seeing 

 these birds congregated on a carcase. It may be, however, that the Crows and 

 Ravens are more prying birds than the Eagle, and search every nook and 

 corner more carefully. The White-tailed Eagle is also said to take living 

 fish from their own element, something after the manner of the Osprey ; but 

 howthe bird accomplishes this feat it is hard to conjecture, unless, u hen flying 

 very low over the waves, it snatches some fish basking on the surface with its 

 claws, conveying it to land to devour at leisure. AVhen carrion is scarce the 

 White-tailed Eagle seeks other prc}^ — the ducks and sea-fowl, taking them 

 more by stealth than prowess. In the winter months this sjieeies takes up 

 its abode on the banks of a locli or inland sheet of Avater, to live almost 

 entirch^ on the water-birds. Daily it may be seen in one particular tree, 

 watching, in comjjany with a pair of Peregrines, the ducks on the water, 

 and waiting in the hope that they will rise and oiler an easy capture. 

 At this season the bird will come mneh nearer to man's habitation in search 

 of garbage and refuse, ofttimes being hard pressed for food, although, iu 

 common with the Raptores generally, it is capable of great endurance." 

 The many tales told of this bird, as well as of the Golden Eagle and the 

 Lammergier, which are all represented as carrying off children, are no 

 doubt myths; for, as Saxby, in his 'liirds of Shetland,' very justly 

 remarks, every Eagle's eyrie in the islands is pointed out as the one made 

 famous for all time by its owiieis carrying oft' that world-renowned baby in 

 times so long ago as to be clouded in deejJ obscurity. 



The White-tailed I'^agle is undoubtedly mated to its partner for life ; and 

 even should one of the birds be destroyed the survivor will obtain a fresh 

 companion in an incredibly short space of time — a habit peculiar to most, 

 if not all, rapacious birds. For many seasons in succession this bird returns 

 to its old eyrie, merely making a few necessary alterations each season, 

 adding to the structure, or making good what damage it may have sus- 

 tained during the storms of the previous winter. The site is \'aried 



