C6 McGIH' — Eagles and Hawki. 



sii^rjjfested that it was possibly the do"- that rhey were following, 

 so wt? i-ode our hoi-ses c-arefully towards tlicin. AftiM- a tow 

 miiiures tlie Eagles were seen to circle i-oniid. .>^\ oo]) d'.twn. and 

 settle: we therefore galloi)ed towards them and had the satis 

 facti(»n of viewing the dog, which was eventnaliy run down and 

 killed. Out of c^riosit^•, we returned to the spot where the 

 Eagles had swooped, and on our approai h. three of them rose 

 from the ground, one cai-rying away the remains of ihp rabbit, 

 Avhich, judging by the tracks, Ayas certainly killed by the dog. 



Often when out after dogs we have been misled by the ac- 

 tions of Eagles, for instead of a dog, we found that a fox or cat 

 was being followed. On one occasion we found an Eagle feast- 

 ing on the remains of an Australian Dotterel, which was, un- 

 doubtedly, killed by the fox, as the latter wa.s disturbed from 

 under a large cotton bush close by. 



A domestic cat was noticed, carrying and dragging a half- 

 grown rabbit towards the homestead, when an Eagle sAvooped 

 at her; she dropped her burden and made for cover. The Eagle 

 landed, secured the I'abbit, and flew otf with it. 



Many of the Hawks, such as the Whistling Eagle and Little 

 Eagle, kill many more rabbits than they are generally given cre- 

 dit for. These hawks, after killing, cannot carry a large raloDit 

 away, but eat it on the ground. The Eagle, ever on the watch, 

 notices the feast, conies to earth alongside the smaller birds, 

 drives them away and, usually, tlies off with the remains to its 

 nest or feeding platform. 



It is .seldom that Eagles ha\e been seen to kill rabbits in 

 the interior, there are plenty of animals and hawks to do this 

 for them. To catch a rabbit, it would ap[(ear necessary for two 

 Eagles to hunt together. When the running rabbit is sighted, 

 one bird swoops at it, causing it to squat, the other bird immedi- 

 ately lands right on top of the rabbit and kills it with its claws. 



It has often been stated that the Eagle takes up a rabbit in 

 the swoop, without coming to earth. Taking into consideration 

 the length of its wings, such a thing seems well nigh impossible; 

 this deduction is strengthened by the fact that the l<]agle cannot 

 rise directly from a standing position on tlip gi'ound. It is neces- 

 sary for it to make a few hops or strides with wings outstretched 

 before it can get up into the air. To carry away a rabbit or 

 the remains of a lamb, the Eagle holds it in one claw only, until 

 it is well away from the ground, then the other claw helps to 

 carry it. If the load was held in both claws on the ground, the 

 bird could not hop or stride sufficiently to enable it to rise. 

 Eagles, in fact, all hawks, never carry anv weight in their bills. 



