68 HALIAETUS ALBICILLA. 



it is not aware of the person who lies in wait within 

 twelve or fifteen yards of it. Its vision must be very 

 penetrating, otherwise it could not so readily fall upon 

 a carcass on the hills, or a dead fish on the shores, 

 from the great height at which it often soars. In 

 searching for food it usually, however, sweeps along 

 the mountain's sides at a height of only a few hundred 

 feet. 



Eagles are said to be particularly fond of dogs, that is, 

 I presume, when they find them dead, which must be 

 seldom the case ; and are reported by the shepherds as 

 sometimes carrying ofi^ stray cats, which in the Hebrides 

 often run wild in the hills during the summer season, 

 and return towards the end of autumn. They do not 

 venture to attack an otter, when they find one eating 

 a fish, but stand at a short distance. This species, in 

 fact, is decidedly cowardly, although in captivity it be- 

 comes vicious, and does not hesitate to attack a dog, a 

 child, or even a grown-up person. I have seen a young 

 bird lay hold of a girl who was carrying off" a piece of 

 flesh in her hand, and an old one make a very confident 

 attack upon a boy who was] passing near it. This lat- 

 ter bird, which was confined in a large room, under the 

 old library of the University of Edinburgh, once clutch- 

 ed me in tliQ shoulder, but did no material damage. 

 It would seem that with many birds, as well as qua- 

 drupeds, familiarity with man tends to lower the esti- 

 mation in which he had previously been held, or at 

 least to obliterate in a great measure the awe with 

 which he is regarded by the same animals when they 

 are not compelled to associate with him. The wolf and 

 the hyena resemble the eagle in this respect. 



