THE SEA EAGLE. 
17 
I was informed by a gentleman resident at Dunfanaghy, the village 
nearest to Horn Head, that in winter the sea eagle is compara- 
tively numerous, and that he has sometimes seen as many as six 
or seven in company on the strand.* They are supposed to be 
attracted hither at this season by rabbits, which greatly abound 
at the Horn. In an article by John Vandeleur Stewart, Esq., on 
the Birds, &c., of Donegal, which appeared in the Magazine of 
Natural History for 1832 (p. 578), the golden eagle is men- 
tioned as resident and rare ; the sea eagle as resident and common. 
The author states that he had received three specimens of the 
latter for his museum in addition to five living eaglets, and fully 
describes the various stages of plumage the species undergoes. 
Mr. W. Sinclaire had a splendid bird of this species from the 
same locality. It likewise frequents Malin Head, the extreme 
northern point of Ireland. At Burt, also, in the county of Donegal, 
this species is said to be seen every year about the month of May. 
In the county of Antrim, the sea eagle has an eyrie at Eair- 
head, the most lofty and sublime of the basaltic promontories of 
the north-east coast. When visiting this place on the 16th of July, 
1839, (accompanied by Mr. Selby and the Rev. E. Bigge,) a pair 
of these birds appeared soaring about the headland. An intelli- 
gent man, long resident in the neighbourhood, since stated, that 
they build annually, very early in the season, on the same plat- 
form of rock, and the number of young was always two, except in 
one year, when to the surprise of the people living in the vicinity, 
four eaglets made their appearance. These were all about the 
same size, and appeared in company with the two old birds. The 
man was questioned particularly respecting this circumstance, as 
no instance of the kind is perhaps on record ; and although he 
could not say that the four young were actually seen in the nest, 
yet at the usual time of eaglets appearing on wing with their 
parents, four young birds unquestionably bore them company. 
Eagles are persecuted by the people here, for carrying off lambs, 
turkeys, and geese of tender age, as well as ducks and hens of all 
* Temminck remarks that this species is common in winter on the shores of 
Denmark. Man. d’Orn. de PEur. part 3, p. 27. 
VOL. I. C 
