BIRDS 199 



from the summit of some cliff, let down by ropes one of the 

 most hardy of their companions, to secure the nest while the old 

 eagles are abroad.' x 



Writing in 1819, Green comments, ' Eagle Crag is a grand 

 towering rock, or collection of perpendicular rocks connected by 

 horizontal spaces of variously covered vegetation. Its form is 

 fine, and it is a majestic background to many pleasing fore- 

 grounds. On that part of Eagle crag which is opposite Green- 

 up, the eagles occasionally built their nests. There [sic] birds 

 were so destructive to the lambs, and consequently injurious to 

 the interests of the shepherds, that their extermination be- 

 came absolutely necessary; but their breeding places being 

 inaccessible, by footsteps, a dangerous experiment was ventured 

 upon. A man, at the hazard of his life, was lowered by a 

 rope down the face of the rock, about sixty yards. A piked 

 staff, such as is used by the shepherds when they travel 

 the mountains, was the weapon with which this man defender 

 himself against the attack of the parent bird while he was rob- 

 bing their nests of the eggs or eaglets. If birds, their posses- 

 sion was to be his remuneration ; but if eggs, every neighbour- 

 ing shepherd gave five shillings. The nests of these birds were 

 formed of the tender branches of trees, and lined with a sort of 

 grass growing upon the bordering rocks. The number of young 

 taken at one brood is not remembered to have exceeded two ; 

 and when not taken, and capable of flying, they were conducted 

 by the old birds to a distant country and not seen afterwards. 

 On the eagles being so frequently robbed of their young, in 

 Greenup, they removed to the opposite side of the crag. At 

 this place, they built two years, but left it for Raven Crag, 

 within the Coom, where, after staying one year only, they 

 returned to their ancient seat in Eagle Crag, where they built 

 annually during the remainder of their stay in Borrowdale. 

 On the loss of its mate, the remaining eagle left the country, but 

 came back the following spring with another. His new consort 

 was not only of a different species, but considerably smaller than 

 his former companion. This pair built during fourteen years in 



1 The Beauties of England and Wales, vol. iii. p. 64. The writer appears 

 to have been West. 



