1902 Some Birds in Shakspear 135 



which as the wind catches them curve and hang back like a 

 bird " bating." What does that mean ? To " bate " was a 

 term in falconry, when the hawk, instead of soaring into the 

 air as it should, fluttered to the ground, and ran along the 

 ground with wings half-spread, moving them irritably back- 

 wards and forwards, as he mentions in the " Taming of the 

 Shrew," where he speaks of kites 



" That bate and beat and will not be obedient," — 



an excellent word to apply to an eagle that has lately bathed, 

 as far as my experience goes. 



I was coming out of the little aquarium at Bergen, and 

 found myself opposite a well-arranged aviary containing two 

 golden eagles. It was latish in the day : monsieur had had 

 his bath, and dried himself fairly, and was sitting on the 

 branch of a withered tree, still looking rather a draggled 

 fowl ; madame was standing on the edge of a shallow tin full 

 of water, the kind of receptacle into which Brer Fox put the 

 stork's food when he entertained her. She was a little an- 

 noyed at finding a stranger come to look on at Diana in her 

 bath ; in fact she said so emphatically. But I did not move, 

 and ultimately she determined that I was beneath contempt 

 and proceeded with her ablutions. To a human being the 

 performance was very quaint, but I restrained myself. When 

 however the bath was finished, and she began to run up and 

 down with bated wings, though I pictured to my mind all 

 that happened to Kalif Stork in Hauff's inimitable tale, I 

 broke out into loud laughter. Nothing happened to me, but 

 her majesty was grossly offended, and wet as she was, she 

 went and joined her royal spouse on the withered tree. 



Beyond one allusion to the Osprey, that is all that there is 

 to be said on Eagles, and the mention of the Kite naturally 

 brings one to the Accipitres, which at that time were chiefly 

 known to Shakspear from the point of view of falconry. 

 But this is not true of the Kite, for in Henry VIII. 's reign 

 it was a very common bird, even in London, where it per- 

 formed the duties now discharged by the District Council, 

 as an unpaid scavenger. As such it was a sacro sand, and 

 by its beneficent agency, once more to borrow from Michelet, 

 " En un moment, une effrayante masse de fermentation 



