te. Second, the SEA
EAGLE (F. Ossifragus), commonly so called, is the young of the
White-tailed Eagle above named, from which it differs in having a brown
tail; for in this species the white of the tail becomes every year more
apparent as the bird increases in age, whereas, in the Golden Eagle, the
white altogether disappears in the adult.

It is to the RING-TAILED EAGLE, and, by consequence, to the GOLDEN
EAGLE, that the name of BLACK EAGLE is applied in the Highlands.

The White-tailed or Sea Eagle, as it becomes old, attains, in addition
to the pure tail, a pale or bleached appearance, from which it may merit
and obtain the name of Grey or SILVER EAGLE, as Sir Humphry Davy chooses
to call it; but it is not known among naturalists by that name. There is
no other species, however, to which the name can apply; and, therefore,
Sir Humphry has committed the very gross mistake of calling the Grey or
Silver Eagle (to use his own nomenclature) a very rare Eagle, since it
is the most common of all the Scots, and also--_a fortiori_--of all the
English Eagles--being in fact the SEA EAGLE of the Highlands.

It preys often on fish dead or alive; but not exclusively, as it also
attacks young lambs, and drives off the ravens from carrion prey, being
less fastidious in its diet than the GOLDEN EAGLE, which probably kills
its own meat--and has been known to carry off children; for a striking
account of one of which hay-field robberies you have but a few minutes
to wait.

As to its driving off its young, its habits are probably similar in this
respect to other birds of prey, none of which appear to keep together in
families after the young can shift for themselves; but we have never met
with any one who has seen them in the act of driving. It is stated
vaguely, in all books, of all eagles.

As to its requiring a large range to feed in--we have only to remark
that, from the powerful flight of these birds, and the wild and barren
nature of the countries which they inhabit, there can be no doubt that
they fly far, and "prey in distant isles"--as Thomson has it; but
Halieus needed not have stated this circumstance as a character of this
peculiar eagle--for an eagle with a small range does not exist; and
therefore it is to be presumed that they require a large one.

Further, all this being the case, there seems to be no necessity for the
old eagles giving themselves the trouble to drive off the young ones,
who by natural instinct wil