‘

HALIAETUS A LBICILLA.
Sea-Eagle.

Aquila albicilla, Briss. Orn., tom. i. p. 427.

 

ossifraga, Briss. Orn., tom. i. p. 437.
Vultur albicilla, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i, pe 123.
Falco ossifragus, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. [eels
albicilla, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom, i. p
—— melanotus, Id. ib. id., p. 254.

albicaudus, 1d. ib. id., p. 258.

—— pygargus, Daud. Traité d’Orn., tom. ii. ols
Haliaétus albicilla, Cuv. Régne Anim., ed, i. Do B55.

 

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Or the two great Eagles which inhabit the British Islands, the Halivétus albicilla is wow

by far the most
numerous, whatever may have been the case in former times.

ce : : :

Unlike the Aquila chrysaétos, which affects
he rocky shores of « sea-girt Albion,” from
and in some Highl
abundant supply of food, and rear its young without fear of mole

ts and inland mountain districts, the Sea-Eagle resorts to t
ores g

which it rarely departs, except to take possession of an isl and loch, where it may obtain an

At the present time it is mostly to
examples are, however, occasionally shot in

station.
be met with on the north-western shores of Scotland and Ireland :
nearly every English county, from Cornwall to the Scottish border ; but these are mostly immature birds, and
very few, I believe, have ever been killed with the pure white tail and yellow bill characteristic of the adult.
Eastward of Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Western Siberia are countries in which
it takes up its abode. It evidently affects more northern climes than the Golden Eagle ;
evidence that it ever crosses the Mediterranean, or proceeds far in the direction of the tropics.

The habits of this Eagle clearly indicate that it is especially adapted for feeding upon fish, both
living and dead; but although this may be the staple, its diet would seem to be somewhat
for it will readily eat carrion of all kinds, and will doubtless occasionally fall upon

mountain-hare, goose, cormorant, guillemot, or any other rock-breeding birds.

varied,
a lamb or a
The following very
characteristic note on this part of the bird’s economy has been obligingly forwarded to

H. Osborne, Jun., Esq., of Wick :—

“An observer, who carefully watched this depredator while beating the margin of a loch, not far from the

me by

edge of the rock, saw him slip over the precipice and shoot along about halfway between the top of the cliff
and the sea. Hardly had he made his appearance when a rush of birds seawards took place. Everything
that could fly left the rocks; and the terror and confusion that ensued was remarkable. This continued
5 : eae : eta ere as
during the whole course of his flight ; and his appearance was the signal for a hurrying of the scared masses
out of the reach of danger. So numerous and so very much frightened were the birds, that the progress of
: chan ste Belk epee ie eee cle aise oh gmc ap
the Eagle could be traced, long after he himself was invisible, by the strings of sea-fowl, of various kinds,
that persistently continued to seek safety in flight. It was long before gull and guillemot got over their
eg 299
fright, and matters assumed ‘ the even tenor of their way. oe
. eee ween Geannencena s species in Norfolk, says
Mr. Stevenson, of Norwich, who has carefully noted the occurrence of this spe i | a i
‘ ee st every al * winter ; the adu
a Specimens, in immature plumage, occur on this coast almost every autumn o1 os but t ; ac m
. : : . ees ae as »males and one male were shot in
bird, with a white tail has never been taken in this county. Two females < a E
i : 5 "1855-56: ; i ‘ing’ winter 306-07, between November
different parts during the winter of 1855-56 ; and in the following winter of 18 27 ee
and January, three more were obtained on the coast. Two of the latter were killed at Winterton, near
y; : havea : :
sine at date or re been seen, and in
Yarmouth, a favourite locality, and nearly at the same spot. Since that date oe een seen, ¢
; : tae 59. Holkham i and at Westwick in Ie
some instances killed, at Horning in 1859, Holkham in 1860, ne a Se ne
of any during the mild winter of 1862-63.” That it occurs as far west as Cornwall is certain, since ,
ses ; se 2 sea-coas at county.
states, in his ‘ List of Cornish Birds,’ that it is sometimes seen on the sea coast of tha | y a
a ae: and wherein Mr. Wolley obtained eggs of this species, as recorded m the
The principal localities in Scotland wherein Mr. ; or ! oe
‘al ss: the bird also breeds in the Orkneys, Shetland,
“Ootheca Wolleyana,’ are Argyll, Sutherland, and Caithness: the bird als gS ae
x | : ce ee ; situ s which are similar to
and Western Islands. Mr. Thompson states that, in Ireland, it frequents all situations i mila
: in Iceland, is very common 1n Greenland, and, I believe, in
c sees 2)

I have not heard

those it inhabits in Scotland ; it also occurs
Labrador.

“The Sea-Eagle is now on the wing; and as : a
a is With his feet concealed among the feathers of the abdomen, his
ngs spread out to their full extent, and even

oh

eo “ves, sailing at intervals, you
he gradually mounts in wide curves, sailing ¢ aie)

cannot fail to gaze on him with delight.
head drawn close to his shoulders, and his magnificent wi

: P >» hills, advancing with apparently
eemine t Is at the points he sweeps along the sides of the hills, advancing w appé J
seeming to curve upwards at the ; sweeps 5
5

for we have no°