GOLDEN EAGLE 301 



Mr, Sumner noted that when first hatched the chick was unable to 

 distinguish objects but could chirp incessantly. At the end of a week 

 it could see well, move its head about, and bite at things. When two 

 weeks old it could crawl and soon learned to rear up ; but even when 

 seven weeks old it could barely maintain its balance when placed on 

 a limb. 



Mr. Sumner's eaglets left the nest when between 9 and 10 weeks 

 old; this was a tree nest and the eaglets had been often disturbed. 

 Mr. Gordon gives the time in one case (1915) as 9 weeks and in another 

 case (1927) as 11 weeks, saying : "The eyrie takes at least six weeks in 

 the building or the repairing, and eagles continue to bring fresh fir 

 branches and bunches of heather to the eyrie until the last fortnight 

 before the nest is vacated — that is, until the eaglets are about nine 

 weeks old." 



The eaglet that Mr. Macpherson (1911) watched on a cliff nest 

 Ijegan leaving the nest and wandering about on the ledge when a little 

 over nine weeks old, but did not fly from the eyrie until about two 

 weeks later. He noted that the young eaglet, while still in the downy 

 stage, "was fed with great regularity twice a day — at daybreak and 

 about 5 P. M." The food, mainly grouse and hares, is brought to the 

 nest by both parents, but principally by the male. The game, at this 

 age of the young, is stripped of fur or feathers and usually dis- 

 emboweled before it is brought to the nest. The female does prac- 

 tically all the feeding, swallowing the intestines herself and picking 

 out tidbits from the liver or other dainty morsels to feed to the young. 

 All uneaten portions of the food are carried away. Later on, when 

 the plumage is growing and the young eaglet is strong enough to tear 

 up his own food, the game is left entire, he is taught to feed himself, 

 and the remnants of the food are not so carefully removed. As the 

 time draws near for him to leave the nest he is encouraged to exercise 

 his legs and wings by placing the food beyond his reach on the ledge. 



Of the eaglet's behavior Mr. Macpherson (1911) writes: 



After his feast the Eaglet walked round the edge of the nest and began to 

 play. He behaved exactly like a child thrown upon its own resources for 

 amusement and compelled to fall back upon any handy article as a toy. Small 

 pieces of heather in this case served his purpose, and he appeared to enjoy lifting 

 them from the ground and throwing them down again. He also picked pieces of 

 moss from the rocks and only desisted from this occupation after having com- 

 pletely stripped the walls of the eyrie. * * * He next began to make his 

 toilet, carefully removing all the loose down, which was now freely coming 

 away. This was accomplished with the aid of his beak, and, the task completed 

 to his satisfaction, he lay down and went to sleep. 



It often happens that one of a pair of eagle's eggs proves to be 

 infertile. But oftener one of the eaglets disappears ; the smaller and 

 weaker bird may not be able to secure his share of the food and thus 



