Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/41

 I was informed by a gentleman resident at Dunfanaghy, the village nearest to Horn Head, that in winter the sea eagle is compara- tively numerous, and that he has sometimes seen as many as six or seven in company on the strand."* They are supposed to be attracted hither at this season by rabbits, which greatly abound at the Horn. In an article by John Vandeleur Stewart, Esq., on the Birds, &c, of Donegal, which appeared in the Magazine of Natural History for 1832 (p. 578), the golden eagle is men- tioned as resident and rare ; the sea eagle as resident and common. The author states that he had received three specimens of the latter for his museum in addition to five living eaglets, and fully describes the various stages of plumage the species undergoes. Mr. W. Sinclaire had a splendid bird of this species from the same locality. It likewise frequents Malin Head, the extreme northern point of Ireland. At Burt, also, in the county of Donegal, this species is said to be seen every year about the month of May. In the county of Antrim, the sea eagle has an eyrie at Fair- head, the most lofty and sublime of the basaltic promontories of the north-east coast. When visiting this place on the 16th of July, 1839, (accompanied by Mr. Selby and the Rev. E. Bigge,) a pair of these birds appeared soaring about the headland. An intelli- gent man, long resident in the neighbourhood, since stated, that they build annually, very early in the season, on the same plat- form of rock, and the number of young was always two, except in one year, when to the surprise of the people living in the vicinity, four eaglets made their appearance. These were all about the same size, and appeared in company with the two old birds. The man was questioned particularly respecting this circumstance, as no instance of the kind is perhaps on record ; and although he could not say that the four young were actually seen in the nest, yet at the usual time of eaglets appearing on wing with their parents, four young birds unquestionably bore them company. Eagles are persecuted by the people here, for carrying off lambs, turkeys, and geese of tender age, as well as ducks and hens of all

Temminck remarks that this species is common in winter on the shores of Denmark. Man. d'Orn. de l'Eur. part 3, p. 27. VOL. I.