﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  When 
  Dr. 
  Gordon 
  wrote 
  his 
  Fauna 
  of 
  Moray 
  he 
  considered 
  the 
  

   Golden 
  Eagle 
  as 
  resident 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  alpine 
  districts, 
  and 
  men- 
  

   tions 
  as 
  comparative 
  rarities 
  specimens 
  which 
  were 
  trapped 
  on 
  

   Cawdor 
  moors 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Streens 
  of 
  Findhorn 
  ; 
  and 
  indeed 
  

   there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  they 
  were 
  rarer 
  then 
  than 
  they 
  

   are 
  now, 
  as 
  the 
  increase 
  of 
  afforested 
  lands 
  throughout 
  North 
  

   Britain 
  has 
  undoubtedly 
  increased 
  their 
  chances 
  of 
  survival 
  and 
  

   increase. 
  

  

  Of 
  their 
  distribution 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  area 
  there 
  is 
  

   still 
  abundance 
  of 
  evidence 
  in 
  Badenoch 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  westward. 
  In 
  

   1881 
  eagles 
  bred 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  river 
  Spey 
  in 
  Badenoch, 
  and 
  Harvie- 
  

   Brown 
  saw 
  one 
  young 
  bird 
  alive 
  at 
  Strathmashie 
  shooting-lodge 
  

   which 
  was 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  eyrie. 
  At 
  Lynwilg 
  Hotel 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  

   fine 
  young 
  bird, 
  stuffed, 
  which 
  was 
  shot 
  in 
  Glen 
  Feshie, 
  where 
  

   they 
  still 
  breed, 
  as 
  also 
  in 
  Gaick. 
  An 
  old 
  eyrie, 
  not 
  now 
  occupied, 
  

   although 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  often 
  observed, 
  was 
  the 
  scene 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  

   Eoualeyn 
  Gordon-Cumming's 
  exploits, 
  and 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Black 
  

   Eock 
  of 
  Loch 
  Errochd, 
  and 
  eagles 
  are 
  still 
  natives 
  of 
  Ben 
  Alder 
  

   deer-forest. 
  Harvie-Brown 
  has 
  repeatedly 
  seen 
  eagles 
  at 
  several 
  

   localities 
  in 
  Badenoch 
  and 
  Lochaber; 
  he 
  saw 
  in 
  one 
  instance 
  a 
  

   single 
  bird 
  chased 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  by 
  two 
  Ravens 
  near 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   Loch 
  Laggan 
  in 
  May 
  1881, 
  and 
  others 
  were 
  seen, 
  the 
  same 
  year 
  

   and 
  month, 
  at 
  a 
  retired 
  loch 
  near 
  to 
  which 
  The 
  Cluny 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  

   have 
  hidden 
  after 
  the 
  battle 
  of 
  Culloden. 
  

  

  In 
  1892 
  Hinxman 
  wrote 
  us 
  : 
  — 
  ' 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  Glen 
  Avon 
  birds 
  has 
  

   been 
  hunting 
  the 
  hills 
  of 
  the 
  Braes 
  of 
  Livet 
  and 
  carrying 
  off 
  some 
  

   lambs 
  ' 
  ; 
  and 
  whilst 
  residing 
  in 
  Glen 
  Livet 
  in 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  the 
  

   same 
  year 
  Harvie-Brown 
  was 
  informed 
  that 
  a 
  pair 
  had 
  a 
  resting- 
  

   rock 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity. 
  The 
  gamekeeper, 
  whom 
  we 
  also 
  interviewed, 
  

   once 
  trapped 
  a 
  Golden 
  Eagle 
  by 
  one 
  claw 
  and 
  took 
  it 
  alive 
  to 
  Mr. 
  

   Skinner, 
  the 
  Duke 
  of 
  Eichmond's 
  factor 
  at 
  Drumin. 
  Owing 
  to 
  

   strict 
  orders 
  given 
  by 
  His 
  Grace 
  to 
  all 
  whom 
  it 
  concerned, 
  and 
  in 
  

   accordance 
  with 
  these 
  orders, 
  the 
  bird 
  was 
  released, 
  and 
  flew 
  away, 
  

   rejoicing 
  again 
  in 
  freedom 
  (see 
  under 
  1893, 
  infra). 
  

  

  Although 
  eagles 
  have 
  made 
  attempts 
  to 
  nestle 
  within 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   cincts 
  of 
  His 
  Grace 
  the 
  Duke 
  of 
  Eichmond's 
  deer-forest 
  as 
  yet 
  

   unsuccessfully, 
  we 
  are 
  earnestly 
  in 
  the 
  hope 
  that 
  they 
  may 
  yet 
  

   succeed 
  in 
  rearing 
  their 
  young, 
  and 
  that 
  an 
  interesting 
  addition 
  will 
  

   be 
  made 
  to 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  inhabited 
  eyries 
  of 
  Scotland. 
  This 
  desirable 
  

  

  