Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/53

 fically determined,) on the 13th of July, 1835, about the English lakes, they most probably breed in that quarter. One appeared near the eastern extremity of the vale of Newlands, not far from Keswick, and the other at Crummock Water. Willoughby states that there was an eyrie of the sea eagle in Whinfield Park, West- moreland; and Latham, on the authority of Dr. Heysham, re- marks that the same species bred near Keswick. When visiting all of the lakes of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, except Lowes-Water, Ennerdale, and Wast-water, in the month of July, 1835, I saw eagles on the one day only.*

Bald Eagle, Haliaetos leucocephalus, Savig. — "Wilson, in his American Orni- thology, (vol. ii. p. 310, Jardine's ed.) observes respecting this bird: — "Of the pre- cise time of building, we have no account, but something may be deduced from the following circumstance." Here follows the description of an ascent to a nest in a pine tree, near Great Egg Harbour, in the month of May ; when it was found that the young birds must have vacated the nest some time before. It is added : — " Our guide had passed this place, early in February, at which time both the male and female were making a great noise about the nest ; and from what we afterwards learned, it is highly probable it contained young, even at that early time of the season." In the Fauna Boreali- Americana, (part 2, p. 15,) Dr. Richardson remarks of this eagle: — " It is known to breed as far south as Virginia, but its nests do not appear to be so common within any part of the United States, as they are in the fur countries."

In the following note, there is at the same time proof that the bald eagle builds at the early period presumed by Wilson, and that during the season of incubation, it is found much farther to the south than is mentioned in the latter work. During a tour made by Richard Langtry, Esq. (of Fort William, near Belfast), through the United States, in 1836, he, in the middle of January, observed a pair of these birds flying about a nest, in the top of a gigantic pitch pine, which stood a little remote from other trees, on the bank of the Fish River, Mobile Bay. On the 6th of February he returned to the place, in the hope of procuring a young bird alive. The nest being inaccessible, the tree was cut down, and with it, one young bird (unfortunately killed by the fall) came to the ground. The eaglet was covered with down, interspersed with a few feathers. The nest was rather flat, and composed of sticks ; it contained the heads and bones of mullet, and two heads of the gray pelican. The parent birds were in great consternation during the felling of the pine, and to the last moment continued flying clamorously about the nest. Mr. Langtry was told that two or three pair of bald eagles build annually about Mobile Bay, and had their nests pointed out to him.

f Montagu, in his Ornithological Dictionary, remarks : — " We have been informed it is frequently seen about the Lake of Killarney, in Ireland, at particular seasons : it no doubt breeds there." No proof of this bird's breeding either there or elsewhere