Of the great raptorial order or birds of prey, (Accipitres,) Ireland seems to possess her full share, all the truly British eagles, falcons, hawks, buzzards, kites, and owls, being found within her shores, although a few stray species, such as the swallowtailed kite, (Elanus furcatus,) the Egyptian vulture, (Neophron percnopterus,) and several continental owls, (of casual occurrence in Britain,) have not as yet been seen there. On the other hand, the griffon vulture (Vultur fulvus) and the spotted eagle (Aquila novia) have occurred in Ireland, and are unknown in England. The latter is supposed to have been seen in Skye. It is an inhabitant of the south and east of Europe. The common kite (Falco milvus) is very rare in Ireland.

Mr. Thompson gives us some curious particulars regarding that fine species, the golden eagle. A sporting friend assured him that when hunting among the Belfast mountains, one of those birds was seen soaring above the hounds" as they came to fault after a good chase." As they gained the scent again, and were going at full cry, the eagle swooped down at a distance of three or four hundred yards in advance, and carried off the hare. In most works on Ornithology the golden eagle is characterized as indocile. But Mr. Langtry of Fort-William, near Belfast, had some years ago a bird which was extremely tractable. It was, to be sure, a Scotch specimen, which may perhaps account for it. It became at once attached to its owner, and after a month's confinement was restored to liberty and the use of its wings, but so far from abusing that liberty in the way of making off, it was found to return to the lure whenever called.

"As one of the first steps toward straining this eagle for the chase, it was hooded after the manner of a hunting hawk; but the practice was soon abandoned as unnecessary, in consequence of its remaining quiet and contented when carried on the arm of its master. It was unwilling indeed to leave him even to take a flight, unless some special 'quarry' was in view. When at liberty for the day, and my friend appeared in sight at any distance, his arm was no sooner held out towards the affectionate bird, than it came hurriedly flying to perch upon it. I have, when in his company-for it was indifferent to the presence of strangers-seen it fly to him without any food being offered, not less than a dozen times within half an hour. When on the ground, and the lure was thrown comparatively near, this bird preferred running-which it could do very fast-to using its wings. It was also fed from the fist.' Live rats were several times turned out of the cage-trap to it, but before getting far away they were invariably pounced upon. Four fullgrown rats have been taken at a meal; an entire heron, (Ardea cinerea), except the head and legs, was also eaten on one occasion. It differed somewhat in its manner of feeding from two sea eagles which were kept along with it; when the head and neck of a goose were offered, the golden eagle ate them wholly; the latter took the flesh off only, leaving the harder parts; and when entire birds were given,

Eagles in Captivity.

357 the sea eagle plucked many more feathers off than the golden,* the latter assimilating to the peregrine falcon in this respect. This golden eagle was more partial to alighting on trees than the sea eagles were. Flying from one group of them to another, it in this manner followed its master about the demesne, indolently remaining as long as possible where it perched, consistently with keeping him in sight. My friend discontinued any further training of this eagle, on account of its boldness, as it flew not only at well-grown cygnets of the tame swans, but at the old birds themselves, which were obliged to take to the water for safety: it also flew at dogs."—Vol. i. p. 10.

One of the largest eagle cages, (next to that of Mr. John Gregory, of Canaan Lodge, near Edinburgh,) of which we have chanced to hear, is that in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. It was erected at the expense of Sir Philip Crampton, Bart., as a place of recreation for the larger carnivorous quadrupeds, but entirely failed in its intended purpose. When a tigress was placed in this expanded den, (thirty-six feet long, sixteen broad, sixteen high,) she quailed and trembled, and seemed most anxious to regain the confined shelter of her usual berth. A lioness and leopard would not enter it voluntarily, but had to be forced to play themselves. Soon after (of course in absence of the Felina), seven eagles were placed in it, and were found to dwell together in amity. Various additions of the same kind were made from year to year, until at last (1845) the number of eagles placed in company amounted to seventeen-viz., three golden, two white-headed, and twelve sea eagles. They lived together, if not in heartfelt harmony, at least with an outward show of respect towards each other. Only one serious quarrel took place. A sea eagle pounced upon a golden one. The latter threw itself upon its back, when the former, with its talons, seized it by the legs, which made it almost faint with fear or pain, while the assailant gave forth a loud triumphant cry.

"I had some difficulty," says Mr. R. Ball, “in beating the bird off the other with a pole; it was removed from the cage, and shortly afterwards accidentally killed. On another occasion, a golden eagle was found drowned in the bath, or large trough, in which eagles delight to roll; it was supposed by the keeper to have been forced under water by one of the sea eagles, but more probably it got cramped, as the birds seem often to carry their bathing to excess. It is a remarkable fact, that a sea eagle but one year old seemed to be generally acknowledged as the superior of the whole. This bird seized the first piece of food thrown into the cage as its acknowledged right; but should any other eagle happen to get possession of it, the food was instantly given up on the approach of the young one, which, when full grown, was about the largest of the flock. The bathing of

* "Birds up to the size of sparrows are caten whole by the golden eagle; three sparrows have been taken in succession without a feather being plucked off."

eagles alluded to is remarkable. On observing that these birds, which in menageries are generally kept without water, exhibited a great desire to wash themselves, a large vessel was provided. When fresh water is put into this vessel, it is at once occupied by one of them, and surrounded by the others waiting their turn for a dip; they eventually lie in it for some time, until completely wetted."

Mr. Gregory's golden eagles, (a fine pair from the Lake of Killarney,) from which the Felina are not debarred, are in truth very fond of live cats. The female makes the first pounce, and usually eats about one half, leaving the other for her mate, who waits patiently till his time comes. The victim is first transfixed by the talons, near the upper portion of the spine, while the neck or throat is almost simultaneously pierced by the bill. Death is often nearly instantaneous, or extremely speedy -occasionally more prolonged, much depending on the success of the first pounce, something on the prowess and activity of the individual Felis.*

In relation to the smaller accipitrine birds, we may state that the merlin (Falco salon) is indigenous in both the north and south of Ireland. It breeds upon the ground, generally in wild and moorland districts, and although not a bird of passage, it ranges with the season, being more frequent in lowland cultivated counties in winter than in summer. We once saw it dart from the centre of a large silver fir-tree, near Stranraer, in the month of July, and presumed it had there and then its nest; but as the general opinion seems to be of one accord, that it always builds upon the ground, our arboreal exception may have been merely resting itself after a flight. We have never chanced to see this species hovering after the mode so beautifully described by the Ettrick Shepherd,

"And the merlin hung in the middle air,

With his little wings outspread,

As if let down from the heavens there
By a viewless silken thread."

It may be that the well-known "windhover," commonly called the kestrel, (Falco tinnunculus,) is here meant, though misnamed. Many errors of this kind creep into poetry, where a dreamy rather than discriminate view is sometimes taken of the actualities

Mr. Gregory's golden eagles have been frequently observed to swallow small birds entire, without plucking-quite in accordance with what is mentioned by Mr. Thompson in the preceding note. An Irish bird-trapper, much employed by Mr. G., (both for Feline and fowls of the air,) gave them more than once a small flock of green linnets, which they snapped up and swallowed, feathers and all, each at a single, almost instantaneous, mouthful. A soft-hearted ornithologist, on a certain occasion, remonstrated with the son of Erin as to the possible cruelty of thus feeding the eagles with living linnets. "And is it bad for the aigles? plase your honour," he immediately replied, in great alarm. Here the conversation was allowed to drop;

"The force of nature could no further go."

Hawks and Owls of Ireland.

359

of nature, and so fact and fiction become blended into a peculiar and delusive tertium quid, which is neither one nor other. In all our ballad poetry there is perpetual reference to the Goshawk, a species which is not historically known in our border countries, which has never been seen to breed there in modern times, and was no doubt substituted by the minstrels in room of the more frequent peregrine.

The kestrel, already named, though well known in Ireland, is much less numerous there than in Britain. This is supposed to be in some measure accounted for by the well-known fact, that there are no field-mice (Arvicola) in Ireland, and very few shrews. These small mammalia form the favourite food of the kestrel, which, however, preys also on insects, lizards, and little birds. Some naturalists deny that it attacks birds at all, but that it does so is certain. Mr. Garrett states, that the ivycovered gable of his house, near Belfast, tenanted by numerous sparrows, was almost daily visited at sunset by a kestrel, which always captured and carried off a bird from among the congregated roosters. However, on examining the interior of this species, it will generally be found to contain the debris of beetles. It has been seen hawking for cock-chafers towards evening, and preying upon them in the air (from hand to mouth) without alighting.

There is no distinct proof that the true goshawk (Falco palumbarius) has been ever seen in Ireland. As a European species it is widely spread, but the American bird, (Falco atricapillus,) though closely allied, is representative rather than identical. As a breeding bird the goshawk is certainly not now a British species, though stray examples are sometimes met with.

The generality of our British Owls are found in Ireland; but our common brown species (Strix stridula) is scarcely known there. It is also extremely rare in the north of Scotland. The most beautiful, and one of the largest birds of this group, the great snowy-owl (Strix nyctea) of Iceland and the Arctic regions, occurs occasionally in Ireland, although less frequently than in Shetland and the north of Lewis. The discovery of the breeding place of this fine species, is a point well worthy of being attempted by the ornithologists of the rising generation. It is not seldom seen in the Island of Unst, the most northern pendicle of the British kingdom, and nearly half-a-dozen specimens were obtained in the neighbourhood of the Butt of Lewis, during the summer of 1850. Several were also killed in Caith

* Among the British quadrupeds, we may here note, that the pole-cat, squirrel, dormouse, and mole, are all unknown in Ireland. Even our common hare (Lepus timidus) is absent, being represented by a peculiar Irish species not found in Britain, Lepus Hibernicus. The species of bats in Ireland are very few compared with those of Britain, especially of England.

ness. Their nests have never been discovered. The notion entertained by some of the natives (of Lewis), with whom we conversed upon the subject, was, that these birds build there on stony islets in the midst of moorland lochs-situations certainly of great security, as there are now no boats on those upland waters. We examined several specimens, and found them wellconditioned, fully feathered birds, but from the great prevalence of dusky spots and bars, they were probably two year olds." We are not aware that a perfectly mature specimen, that is, with the plumage of a pure white, with distinct dark-coloured markings, has ever been found among us till the conclusion of the breeding season, in which case they may have formed only a portion of the winter migration from the far north. This species frequently hunts by day, as indeed all Arctic owls must necessarily do, being inhabitants of countries where a "sleepless summer of long light" knows nothing of the gloom of our nocturnal darkness. Besides its love of hares, (from whence its Swedish name of Har-fang,) rabbits, and feathered game, it is a very dexterous fisher, sailing over the placid waters as soft and silent as a wreath of snow, but striking from time to time its talons through the back of unsuspecting fish, and bearing it off to craggy knoll or leafy arbour. It has been remarked that there are few things more completely out of place than a trout on the top of a tall tree.

Owls in general are supposed to be very useful in preventing the increase of the smaller quadrupeds, (Mr. Ball took nine mice from the stomach of a single bird,) and on this account are in many places held in high esteem. A white owl is regarded as sacred in Arabia, because when Mahomet, pursued by his enemies, was on the point of being discovered in a cave where he had taken refuge, one of these birds flew from it, and his assailants immediately returned upon their steps, concluding that no one could have previously entered it. But so far from being deemed sacred, they are eaten in Norfolk, where the people, even in a land of turkeys, have a saying, "as tender as a boiled owl."

We shall next take a brief survey of a few of the Insessorial or perching birds, among which are included all our smaller land-birds and songsters, as well as crows, pies, &c.

Of the shrikes, the red-backed species, (Lanius collurio,) common in all the southern and western counties of England, and well known in Wales, has not yet made its way to Ireland. At this we rather wonder, as it is a bird of buoyant wing.

That delightful bird, the dipper, or water-ouzel, (Cinclus aquaticus,) which forms so familiar and enlivening a feature of our rocky streams and torrents, is common over Ireland, as in Britain, wherever suitable localities occur. During winter many