Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/38

 Parker* took a portrait of the little eagle while I had it for a short time, and mentioned a singular coincidence. When on a visit to Mr. Butler of Waterville, a few days before the bird came under his inspection, that gentleman had mentioned a small brown eagle, in all respects like a golden eagle, except in being about half the size, as frequenting the mountains above Cahirciveen, in Kerry : — he had seen it occasionally during the last seven or eight years. To the Rev. Mr. Bastable, a clergyman of the neighbourhood, it was likewise known." I have little doubt, also, that a bird particularly described to myself, when visiting Horn Head (Donegal), in 1832, as having been shot there the previous year, was of this species.

The Spotted Eagle has not been met with in England or Scotland. In Continental Europe, it appears to inhabit chiefly the east and south ; but has been obtained in most of the countries southward of the Baltic Sea, including Belgium and France.

Haliaëtos albicilla, Briss. (sp.)

Falco ossifragus, Linn.

Is found in suitable localities throughout Ireland, and is resident.

The first Sea Eagle I had the satisfaction of seeing in Ireland, was on the 25th June, 1832, when visiting the majestic promon- tory of Horn Head (Donegal), which rises precipitously from the ocean to an elevation of nearly 600 feet. On looking over the cliff on the eastern side, one of these birds rose from a platform of rock about sixty yards distant. Immediately afterwards, on reaching the northern side, I perceived another sitting on her nest, about a fourth of the way from the summit of the precipice;

A gentleman whose splendid collection of coloured drawings of native birds, mostly life-size, and all executed by himself, attracted great admiration in the Natural History Section of the British Association at Cork, in 1843.