Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/39

 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, 1832. I have been informed of another instance (which happened in 1836 ?) 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