The Eagles of the Mountain Birch 



feathers being strongly marked with white also. The 

 powerful legs were encased in snow-white stockings, 

 with dark feathers covering the thighs. By manoeuvring 

 I succeeded in driving the eaglet towards her companion, and 

 then approached the bird which had first left the eyrie. I 

 was considerably surprised to see him sail out on a second 

 flight as I neared him, and, as he was too strong on the 

 wing to approach, I left him where he had alighted, and 

 returned to his more helpless relation. I was anxious to 

 observe whether this bird would be reluctant to cross the 

 burn, and at length, by diplomacy, brought her to the edge 

 of the stream. A sandpiper with a family near showed the 

 most intense anxiety as we approached, fluttering up into 

 the air and repeatedly uttering her shrill whistling note 

 of distress. 



For a short time the eaglet seemed to be suspicious of 

 the murmuring water, but quite of her own accord she at 

 length waded into and across the burn without hesitation. 

 I left her there, with head almost touching the ground, in 

 an attitude of grave thoughtfulness. 



The sun had already gone from the little glen. Dark 

 thunder-clouds rolled up from the big hill to the west. 

 There was no sound now in the glen, save the rush of the 

 burn and the cry of a ring ouzel, full of the responsibility 

 of family cares. 



For a time the eaglets are tended by their parents, but 

 when they reach the fullness of their strength, and taste 

 of the power of that incomparable flight of theirs, they are 

 ruthlessly driven from the home of their youth by these 

 same parents which formerly bestowed such care and affec- 

 tion upon them. 



And with the coming of each spring the eagles will return 

 to the small glen. 



