34 ACCIPITRES. 



These noble birds are to be met with in most 

 parts af the world, regardless of temperature, but 

 preferring the mountainous districts. They usually 

 soar to a great height in the air, and from this eleva- 

 tion they will descend upon their victims. They may, 

 however, sometimes be seen sailing along at no 

 great altitude over woody valleys, ravines, and the 

 declivities of mountains, as well as over cultivated 

 land, or seated on a rock, patiently awaiting the 

 approach of some quadruped or bird upon which 

 they can prey. Although usually addicted to live 

 upon much nobler game, lizards, insects, and even 

 carrion, are not always beneath their notice. Their 

 flight is easy, and usually performed in lofty cir- 

 cuitous sweeps. Their nest is composed of branches, 

 sticks, heather, and other materials, and covers a 

 large space of ground : it is generally placed upon a 

 projecting part of some inaccessible cliff, or on the 

 summit of a large tree. The eggs are ordinarily two 

 in number. 



The type of the race — 



The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)* is amongst the 

 largest of European birds ; the female, which throughout 

 the Falcon family is larger than the male, often measures 

 three feet and a half in length, and upwards of eight 

 feet across when the wings are extended. Bewick men- 

 tions a very large specimen killed at Warkworth, in 

 Northumber-land, which measured eleven feet in its 

 extent of wing. Its prey consists of large quadrupeds, 

 and birds, fawns, lambs, black and red grouse ; and it is 

 only under the extremity of hunger that it will feed 

 upon carrion, or attack a dead carcase. The stoop of 

 the Eagle is one of the grandest displays of force in the 

 whole range of animated nature, and is generally at once 

 fiital from the violence of the shock : should it, however, 

 fail in destroying life, the clutch mstantly follows ; in 

 giving which the wliole strength of the bird, m the 

 utmost excitement, with the head elevated, the neck 



* XpvfTOQ, chrysos, gold ; cierog, aetos, an eagle; Golden Eagle. 



