360 BRITISH BIRDS. 



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

 not scaly but reticulate, three scales only being present towards 

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

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

 but not now in England. It is this species only that we find 

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



Fig. 186. — Head of White-tailed Eagle {Halixutus alhicUla). 



fish. The golden eagle takes lambs, and even fawns, whilst 

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

 time in the North were destructive amongst 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 British Buzzards {Buteo vulgaris and B. lagojms) 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 Marsh-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 sparro-v^- 

 hawk and peregrine, the Accipitres are not destructive to any 

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



