Golden Eagle 287 



assigned to him. The anatomy of the eye alone is a 

 perfect study, and this wonderful organ has a power of 

 vision of which men have not the slightest idea, even 

 though our sight might be aided by a telescope. The 

 brain is large and well developed, the convolutions of grey 

 matter dipped deep down into the white matter, thus 

 showing a considerable amount of intelligence in the bird. 

 The lens of the eye is very peculiar ; it is flattened on each 

 side and as brilliant as a diamond. A fish's lens is round. 

 It is commonly believed that the eagle has a muscular 

 apparatus connected with his eye, by means of which he 

 can convert it, as it were, into a telescope for seeing long 

 distances, and can so adapt his powers of vision as to see 

 clearly at shorter distances. He nmt, indeed, have the 

 most perfect organs of sight of any created thing. When 

 he is soaring so high in the air that he can hardly be seen 

 by the human eye it is said that he can easily detect a 

 hare or a lamb on the ground. 



The appearance of the bird in high air is very interesting, 

 and its average height is such as to make it appear as 

 merely a swallow. That eagles usually hunt for prey in 

 couples is well known, and it is observed that they invari- 

 ably describe the figure of eight in their peculiarly graceful 

 curves, whilst their general motion in flight is elegance 

 itself. It is also noticed how one flap of the wings serves 

 to carry the bird on for many minutes without any more 

 exertion on his part. The great power of the eagle is 

 concentrated in the hind claw. When the bird strikes his 

 prey he does so from above. Charging downwards with 

 immense velocity he drives his hind claw into the body 

 of his victim. The talon at the end of the hind toe usually 

 measures two inches, and the point is as sharp as a needle. 

 This formidable weapon would drive the body of the prey 

 seized directly, into the grasp of the three talons, which 

 form the front of the foot. Thus we have a grasping 

 machine combining the essentials of strength and 

 lightness. 



In Scotland there was a general belief that the bird fed 

 largely on grouse. It is quite certain that they will eat 

 such food, but it must; be borne in mind that it would 



