192 TIIE CONDOR VOL. XI The nest cavity was lined with duck feathers, dry moss and grasses. It measured sixteen inches in diameter and was four inches deep. As far as I could learn both birds shared about equally the duties of nest- building and incubation. I watcht one pair of birds with a telescope and found that the female occupied the nest most of the time, but the male was not far away at any time. One thing that has always puzzled me was the comparative scarcity of breeding birds in southeastern Alaska in the spring of 1907. During the latter part of April and the first o'f May it was no uncommon sight to see fifteen or twenty eagles together waiting for a school of herring. I do not know that these birds did not breed later on; but I do not think that this was the case, as I found numer- ous nests, most of which were not occupied. Two eggs is a normal set with these birds; and I have been led to believe, from the nests that I have examined, that not more than one set in ten consists of three eggs. A set of two eggs taken at Windfall Harbor, Alaska,, on April .30, 1907, are rounded ovate in shape; the shell is rough, clear white and slightly nest-stained. These eggs are unusually large, measuring 78X58.5 and 75.5?60 millimeters. At YOUNG NORTHERI? BALD EAGLES ABOUT THREE %VEEKS OLD; HA%VKINS ISLAI?D, PRINCE ?*VILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA this date the eggs were practically fresh. I do not know the exact length of the period of incubation. The earliest nesting record that I have is April 30, and the latest about May 25. The third illustration shows three young eagles in the nest on Hawkins Island which is illustrated in the second cut with this article. This photo was taken June 21, 1908, and I took the young birds to be about ten days old at this time. They were clothed in white natal down. Two freshly caught fish about a foot long were lying beside them. The young eaglets evidently took me for the old eagle when I invaded the nest; for they stuck up their heads uttering a rasping sound thru their wide-open mouths, and tried to swallow the end of my finger when it was inserted into their mouths. It might not be out of place to mention here that while I was thus employed, both parent birds were circling overhead uttering the chuckling alarm note; and altho seemingly much concerned about the fate of their young they made no effort to attack me and at no time came nearer than fifty yards. I have never known these birds to fight for their young and I believe that the valor
