the base. The Kite flies in circles with elegance and 
buoyancy. It builds on trees. The eggs are white, 
with a fnw reddish brown spots. It feeds on small 
quadrupeds, reptiles, insects, and occasionally birds 
and farm-yard chickens. I used to stuff two or three 
specimens of this bird every season, but I have not 
seen one for a dozen years. I have no doubt it may 
still be found about the Breadalbane district, where 
it has been frequently met with. The scarcity of this 
bird is much to be regretted, as, from its noble ap¬ 
pearance, it formed one of our flnest birds of prey. 
8th. Aquila Chrysaetus, the Golden Eagle, Black 
Eagle, Brown Eagle, or Bing-tailed Eagle, is about 
3 feet long, by 7 feet in breadth of wings. The 
colour of this bird is brown, feathers on head and 
neck yellowish brown. Builds on rocky precipices, 
lays two eggs almost white, occasionally with reddish 
spots. It feeds on hares, rabbits, lambs, fawns, 
grouse, &c. I used to stuff specimens every winter, 
but have not done so for three or four years. They 
came chiefly from the Bannoch district. About a 
dozen years ago a wholesale poisoning of Golden 
Eagles took place in Bannoch. The poison was put 
on dead hares and rabbits, and the result was the 
destruction of five of these noble birds, all about one 
time—two of which come into my possession. 
9th. Haliaetiis alhicilla^ the White-tailed Eagle 
or Erne. The length of this bird is 40 inches, by 
7 or 74 feet. Colour mostly brown, mixed with 
white ; beak and legs yellow. It breeds on cliffs on 
the sea shore and inland. Eggs two, of a bluish 
white colour. I have stuffed specimens frequently, 
but not for some years. It is also found in the 
Bannoch district. 
Before concluding this list of falcons, I may state 
that I think it extremely probable that a specimen 
of Accijnter Paliimharius^, the Goshawk, may have 
turned up in the county ; but as I have never had 
one in my possession, I have passed it over in silence. 
Such is a brief and somewhat perfunctory descrip¬ 
tion of the Falconidse of the county. I have only 
spoken of those which I know, from personal ob¬ 
servation, to exist, or what did existbut I shall be 
