8 
FALCONID/E. 
white tail projecting. He crept cautiously along the shelf 
till close to the Erne, and then suddenly raising himself, and 
throwing his body over the stone, seized the bird by a wing 
and leg. The so-called king (or in this instance queen) of the 
feathered tribes seemed completely cowed by his presence, 
and made no resistance to this rude and unexpected interrup- 
tion; on the contrary, she merely opened her bill, apparently 
in a furtive attempt to call in the assistance of her lord and 
master, who, by the way, was soaring at a safe distance above, 
while this lawless ‘spulzie’ was perpetrating, and then 
resigned herself to her fate. The non-resistance of the bird 
was the more singular, as one of the wings and feet and her 
head were entirely free, and the powerful struggle she eoulcl 
liave made would have either soon freed herself, or, what is 
more probable, dragged the spoiler over the precipice. To 
use his own simile, she made no more resistance than had it 
been a hen or a goose in similar circumstances. He, however, 
seeing her thus passive, leisurely undid his garters, tied up 
the bill and feet, twisted the wings together, and the vulture- 
eagle lay in her own nest, bound, gagged, and powerless. The 
only path by which the man could return was too steep and 
difficult to allow of his carrying such a heavy bird, and con- 
sequently he was obliged to let her fall, and the unfortunate 
captive rolled down helpless througli the air she had so often 
cloven with such ease and safety, and met an ignominious 
death on the rocks beneatli. The successful fowler retraced 
his steps by another and safer path, and secured his prize, 
which, with the egg ol)tained at the same time, is now before 
me, being in the possession of my uncle, Thomas Edmondston, 
Esq., of Buness. The nest was constructed chiefly of heather 
twigs and the dried stems of Laminaria digitata, uprooted and 
cast ashore; it was lined with wool, feathers, and ^‘siniia,”'^ 
and contained few of the remains usually found in the nest of 
birds of prey, as the young ones had not come out; but a 
dead guillemot and two kittiwakes were found, whicli renders 
* This name is given to the withered lierbage of the previous year. 
