TUP, E.\fiLKs. fj;} 



If the hare, by a sudden turn, freed himself from his most pressing enemy, the second 

 bird instantly took tip the chase, and thus prevented the ^-ietim from having even a 

 momentary respite. 



When De Thou, the historian, and M. Schomborg were passing through Franco on an 

 embassy fi-om Henry III. to tlie king of Navarre, they ^-ere entertained for some days at 

 Maude, the seat of the bishop and count of Gevaudan. The visitors observed, with some 

 surprise, at the first repast, that all the wild fowl or game brought to table wanted a 

 head, a wing, a leg, or some other part, which occasioned their host pleasantly to 

 apologise for the voracity of his catt^rer, who always took the liberty of first tasting wliat 

 he had procured before it was brought to the table. 



On perceiving the increased surprise of his guests, he informed them that in the 

 moimtainous regions of that district the eagles were accustomed to build their nests 

 among the almost inaccessible rocks, which can be ascended only by ladders and grajjplino- 

 irons. The peasants, however, on discovering a nest, erected a small hut at the foot of 

 the rock, in which to shelter themselves from the fury of the birds when they conveyed 

 provisions to their j'oung, and also to wiiteh the times of their leaving the eyrie. On 

 obser\ing their departure, they instantly planted their ladders, climbed the rocks, and 

 carried off the prey the eagles had conveyed to their young, substituting the entrails of 

 anunals and other offal. The prey was generally mutilated by the young eagles before it 

 could be thus captured, but the bishop considered it to have a finer flavour than anythino- 

 the markets could afford. He added, that when the yoimg eagles had acquired sufficient 

 strength to fly, the shepherds fastx^ned them to the nest, that the parent birds mio-ht con- 

 tinue their supply of food. In this way three or four eagles' nests sufficed to supply a 

 splendid table throughout the year ; and so far from mui-muring at tke ravages of the 

 eagles, he considered himself happy in being situated in a neighbourhood ^\•]lere he 

 reckcJued every eyrie as a kind of annual rent. 



Smith relates, in his " History of Kerry," that a poor inhabitant of that county 

 pro^•ided for his family abundantly during an entire year, by taking from an eagle's nest 

 the food brought there by the jiarents, and that he might prolong their attentions beyond 

 the ordinary period, he clipx^ed the wings of the eaglets, and so retarded their dejjarture. 



Many years ago an eagle was taken in the forest of Fontainbleau, in a trap set for 

 foxes, the .spriag of which broke his claw. He bore, however, a painfid operation that 

 was required with great patience. While it was proceeding, his head only was at liberty, 

 and with this ho did not oppose the dressing of the wound, from which several splinters 

 were taken, nor did he afterwards attempt to disturb the bandages when they were 

 arranged. He even passed the entire night without the least motion. The next daj^, when 

 all the bandages were unwrapped, he lodged himself on a screen, where he remained 

 twelve hours without once resting on the injuied foot. 



He made no attempt to escape, though the windows were ojien. He rejected all 

 nourishment till the thirteenth day of his captivity, when he seized a rabbit, which liad 

 been given him, with his uninjured claw, and killed it with a stroke of his beak bet^veen 

 the head and the first vertebra of the neck. After devouring it, he resumed his usual 

 place upon the screen, from whence he stirred no more till the twenty-first day after the 

 accident. He then began to try the wounded limb, and without in the least deranging 

 the ligature by which it was bound, he gradually exercised it till it regained its full 

 power. In the room of the servant who attended him he passed three months. As soon 

 as the fire was lighted he came up to it, and suffered himself to be caressed ; at bed-time 

 he mounted his screen, as close as possible to the attendant's bed, but remo\-ed to the 

 oi^posite end as soon as the lamp went out. He was a veiy beautiful creature, and did 

 not appear to suffer from the least weakness in consequence of the accident which 

 deprived him of his liberty. 



