44 ^"^f'^y P^^^'^^rs. [J"]l,^. 



Putting all things together, my opinion is that our magnificent 

 Wedge- tailed Eagle only uses the bill in tearing off the flesh of 

 the slain animal, for which the crook in the upper mandible is 

 well adapted. Some few years ago three of these fine birds were 

 seen in company pursuing rabbits amongst thistles, when finally, 

 getting one into the open, puss was captured in fine style. The 

 bird tried to fly off with the prize, but the animal, a full-grown 

 one, was far too heavy. On examining this rabbit it was found 

 that it had been killed with a vice-like grip of the bird's talons 

 across the back sufficiently forward to compress heart and 

 lungs. When an Eagle feasts on a young lamb it stands upon 

 the carcass : our pet did the same when rabbits were flung to it. 

 This bird when in that position worked the sharp hook of its 

 bill into the carcass, then with an up-drag tore off the flesh. In 

 devouring a lamb the Eagle broke into its side just behind 

 the shoulder, and directly over the heart, lungs, and liver. 

 Having swallowed these, the rest of the body was picked over. 

 There is very little flesh on a lamb a few days old — in fact, 

 less than is found on a full-grown rabbit — and our tame bird 

 could easily dispose of the latter in a short time. Concerning 

 the weight-carrying powers of a Wedge-tailed Eagle, it was 

 stated one attempted to soar off with a rabbit and failed in 

 that effort. Amongst birds of prey it is generally held that 

 the female is larger than the male, consequently may carry a 

 heavier weight. In my sheep experience never on any occasion 

 have I seen an Eagle try to fly with even a green lamb, and at 

 that stage it is very light. It is true there was no absolute 

 necessity to make that effort, because lambing falls long before 

 these destructive birds commence to nest. It was common 

 enough to see the great creatures circling about — apparently 

 for the fun of the thing — with the cleaned-up skeleton of a 

 lamb in their claws. The aforesaid remains comprised skull, 

 vertebrae, legs, and skin. Wedge- tailed Eagles are not fastidious 

 in their appetites, for they will eat the flesh of animals that die 

 from natural causes, even when their carcasses have become 

 putrid. This, in my opinion, is the reason why strychnine is so 

 fatal to them. My father's mode of squaring accounts with the 

 pest was taking a dead lamb, and, removing heart, lungs, and liver, 

 cut them into tempting morsels, strewed them around, touched 

 each with a dose of the deadly poison. This done, he put 

 strychnine on the remains. One day, with my brother, I went 

 off two hundred yards to await events. Before the lapse of ten 

 minutes an Eagle settled down. Its first proceeding was to 

 bolt the scraps, then, stepping on to the carcass, it began to 

 operate upon it. In a short space of time it became " wobbly," 

 moved a few feet away and fell prone on its breast. The pair 

 of us, running forward, found it beating the ground with partially 

 extended wings, in the last throes of death. During this same 



