BIRDS. 



187 



Again referring to our uorth-east borders, though at a later date, 

 Mr. Milne quotes one shot at Clattering Brig, Gleusaugh, on the 

 property of Sir John Gladstone, in the spring of 1S95. He adds: 

 " They frequently visit Drumtochty and Glensaugh Muir. The one 

 quoted above was accompanied by a male." Again : "Two were seen 

 passing over the Glensaugh Hills by a party of sportsmen who were 

 grouse-shooting. The Eagles succeeded in sjwiling their day's sport 

 completely for them. Drumtochty appears to be a favourite haunt of 

 Eagles — even as I now write — and the proprietor has issued orders 

 to his keepers that they are to be destroyed. Indeed, there are 

 almost annual reports of their ajDpearances in the district. Thus, 

 I have constant reports all along for the years 1S96 to 1901, and 

 subsequently, and they are reported from several other reaches 

 of the southern spurs of the Grampians. But they are decidedly 

 scarce in the true lowlands of Strathmore — as indeed elsewhere in all 

 lower-lying gi^ounds — as is naturally to be expected. 



Farther along our northern border their numbers are such as 

 scarcely to call for any special mention, at least not in any detail. 

 But, to give one item anecdotally : Mr. Macgregor, keeper for many 

 years at Drumouchter, told me in 1870 that he was present when 

 Roualeyn Gordon Gumming took the Eagle's eggs "out of the Black 

 Rock (Craig dhu) of Loch Ericht." "The rope," he said, "was just 

 a stone in weight," and was carried up to the rock on pony-back. 

 The eggs were taken out by means of a pitchfork, to which a piece 

 of netting was tied." This account was also spoken to as correct by 

 Mr. Macdonald, the hotel-keeper at Dalwhinuie, who was present 

 also when Gordon Cumming exploited the Black Rock Eagles, and 

 was still at Dalwhinnie when Col. Feilden and I took the DotterelFs 

 eggs in the neighbourhood in 1871. Macgregor was also the 

 keeper who took the eggs of the Goosander on Loch Ericht side 

 in 1870, and forwarded them to Dunipace when I was away in 

 Norway (Init see under species). 



Xow, as I have said. Golden Eagles have become very abundant 

 to date, and complaints are numerous from our Highland districts. 

 I cannot help thinking that sentimentality is becoming rabid amongst 

 oiu" bird-jDreservers. 



Millais relates the sudden appearance of an Eagle, and its lower- 

 ing its flight above the lawn at Bowerswell House, Perth. He 

 says : " The bird lowered over the house and garden for several 

 minutes. This would be about the year 1873." Millais continues : 

 "Since then I have rarely seen Golden Eagles in the Tay valley, as 



