384 BKITISH BIRDS. 



leg feathered down to the toes, and the upper part of the toes 

 not scaly hut reticulate, three scales only heing present towards 

 the tip. A female white-tailed eagle will reach thirty-four to 

 thirty-six inches in length. They hreed in Scotland in April, 

 hut not now in England. It is this species only that ive find 

 in the South. The food consists of carrion — birds, animals, and 



217. — Hkad of White-tailed Eagle (Tlcdidcius alhirJUa). 



fish. The golden eagle takes lan)i)S, and even fawns, whilst 

 hares and grouse form its staph; food. They no doubt at one 

 time in the Xorth were destructive to sheep ; but they are now 

 far too scarce to do any harm, although the golden eagle is if 

 anything on the increase in Scotland, owing to its being now 

 more or less preserved by landowners. 



The two Britisli Buzzards (Buteo vuhjaris and JB. IcKjopus) are 

 great destroyers of mice and voles, frogs and snakes. They are 

 sometimes said to destroy partridges and grouse, but this is very 

 rarely the case. 



Amongst the Harriers {Circus), the iNIarsh-harrier is said to 

 destroy poultry ; but if it does, it is only to a limited extent, for 

 their chief food consists of small mammals, small birds, frogs, and 

 snakes — in fact, the above form the usual diet of all the Circi. 



It will thus be seen that, with the exception of the sparrow- 

 hawk and peregrine, the Accipitres are not destructive to any 

 great extent ; but, on the other hand, many are decidedly bene- 



