70 HALIAETUS ALBICILLA. 



der, at least among quadrupeds, excepting in the arti- 

 cle of lambs. It, however, destroys grouse, young sea- 

 birds, and sometimes poultry. Whether two indivi- 

 duals ever hunt in concert, as Mr Audubon says is the 

 case with the white-headed eagle, which is so closely 

 aUied to it, I know not ; but at Luachar, in Harris, a 

 shepherd told me he had seen two attacking a doe in 

 winter. The eagles hovered over the frightened ani- 

 mal, when one of them descended, pounced upon its 

 shoulder, and struck at its head with its wings. It 

 then sprung up, and the other eagle took its place. 

 The deer was stunned, became confused, staggered, and 

 would probably have fallen a victim, had not the shep- 

 herd shouted from the place where he had lain con- 

 cealed, when the eagles flew oflp, and the deer, soon re- 

 covering, bounded away. 



Of the many absurd stories told of eagles, the fol- 

 lowing, by the justly celebrated geologist Von Buch, 

 is not the least remarkable. " We learned," says he, 

 " with astonishment, that eagles were very much dread- 

 ed on these islands ; for they are not contented with 

 lambs and smaller animals, but even attack oxen, and 

 not unfrequently master them. The manner of their 

 attack is so singular that we should have doubted the 

 truth of the account if we had not heai'd it so circum- 

 stantially and distinctly confirmed to us, in the same 

 terms, at places a great distance from each other. The 

 eagle plunges itself into the waves, and, after being 

 completely drenched, rolls itself among the sand on the 

 shore till its wings are quite covered with sand. It 

 then rises into the air, and hovers over its unfortunate 

 victim. When it is close to it, it shakes its wings, and 



