GOLDEN EAGLE. 99 



at intervals. Hares, roes, and even red-deer, it also at- 

 tacks ; but it does not haunt tlie shores for fish so much 

 as the Sea- Eagle does. 



There seems to be very little probability that eagles 

 have the sense of smell very acute ; but that their vi- 

 sion is so is evident. I am not, however, inclined to 

 think that they perceive objects from the vast height 

 to which they sometimes soar, because I never saw one 

 descend from such an elevation in a manner indicating 

 that it had observed a carcass or other eatable object ; 

 whereas, on the other hand, I have very frequently seen 

 them flying along the sides of the hills at a small height, 

 obviously in search of food, in a manner somewhat re- 

 sembling that of the sparrow-hawk, but with much less 

 rapidity. 



A gannet was brought to me in Harris, which had 

 been knocked down dead by an eagle as it flew across 

 an isthmus. That bird flies along the shores while 

 fishing, following their sinuosities; and although I have 

 very frequently watched them at all times of the day, 

 I never observed one to cross a neck of land, however 

 small. But in this instance an exception occurred to 

 the general rule ; the unfortunate bird having thought 

 of gaining the sound of Harris by crossing the sandy 

 isthmus of Ui, upwards of a quarter of a mile in breadth. 

 An eagle happened to be near at the time, and proba- 

 bly judging the bird altogether out of its latitude, came 

 down upon it with such force as to drive it to the 

 ground dead. Some people who were working near 

 the place ran up and secured the gannet. I have no 

 reason, however, to believe that eagles commonly prey 

 on gannets. 



