THE SEA EAGLE. 
15 
when she flew off, two eggs, greenish-white in colour, like those 
of the swan, ( Cygnus olor), were exposed to view. Very near to 
this was another nest at a similar distance from the top, but it 
was untenanted, and from its proximity to the other, I should 
rather suppose that both had belonged to the same pair of eagles 
in different years, than that they were occupied by two pair at the 
same time. Less than a furlong distant to the eastward of the 
Head, there was a nest similarly situated, and containing two 
eaglets. To obtain these, we engaged a man accustomed to the 
apparently hazardous exploit of descending precipices. A rope 
being attached to his body for safety, and a basket to Ins back for 
the reception of the eaglets, he was lowered to the nest, from 
which he brought up the birds without injury either to himself 
or them. The parents were most vociferous during the robbing 
of their eyrie, taking hurried flights, evidently in despair, towards 
the nest, but did not attack, nor even closely approach the plun- 
derer, nor did they come within fair gun-shot of the rock. The 
eaglets were almost entirely feathered. The first layer of this 
nest, as well as that of the other two, was composed of strong 
stems of heather ; being unable by looking over the rock to see 
the lining, I had it brought up, and found it to be the tender 
twigs of heath, and plants of Luzula sylvatica , both of which grow 
on the summit of the cliff. About the nest, there were many legs 
of rabbits, and the remains of puffins {Mormon fratercula , Temm.) 
On the following day I saw five sea eagles in mature plumage,* 
* Excepting eaglets, the gamekeeper had never seen any but white-tailed, or adult, 
eagles here at this season. Mr. J. V. Stewart, however, with reference to this part 
of the country, remarks : — “ In spring I have seen the white-tailed eagle apparently 
paired with Ossifragus (the adult with the immature bird), and I have reason to 
believe that they breed together.” He adds : — “ The males at this season are very 
assiduous in their attention to the females, and very pugnacious in their rivalry. 
Some time ago, two of them near this fought so furiously for a female, who remained 
soaring above, that having in the contest fixed their talons firmly into each other’s 
breasts, they dropped to the ground, and there continued the struggle so fiercely, 
that a peasant passing by, was enabled to despatch them both with a stick.” — Mag. 
Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 580, 1882. I have been informed of another instance (which 
happened in 1886 ?) of two eagles, that after fighting for some time in the air, fell 
to the ground, in a garden near Newtowncunningham in the same county, and were 
secured. If gallantry be really the cause of such combats, birds about to pair for the 
first time are probably the disputants, as from the circumstance of a pair frequenting 
