STORY OF A PAIR OF EAGLES. 163 



the saw has unfortunately broken.* It was this nest 

 that Mrs. Saville wanted to show me. How long it 

 had lain in its recess cannot be known ; but, as the 

 yolks of the eggs were not dried up, one would sup- 

 pose that it could not be a very long period. It is 

 difficult to account for the circumstance altogether. 

 That a bird should choose such an unfavourable situa- 

 tion for her progeny, is contrary to the usual sagacity 

 of those creatures, whose maternal solicitude is so 

 striking ; and that any part of an elm, a slow-grow- 

 ing tree, should grow so rapidly as to enclose nest and 

 eggs before they were destroyed by moisture or in- 

 sects, is surprising ; especially as, from the cavity in 

 which it lay, to the surface of the tree, were four or 

 five inches of solid timber. The fact is certain, though 

 to me mexplicable : I relate it as it happened. Leav- 

 ing it to your penetration to develop the mystery, I 

 shall fill the remainder of my letter with the history 

 of a pair of eagles, that have taken their abode on the^ 

 estate of Doctor M'Donnel of Belfast.t This gentle- 

 man has a farm at Fair Head ; (which is a very re- 

 markable promontory in the north of Ireland, termi- 



* This circumstance happened on the estate of Mr. Parker of 

 Chelmsford, in the year 1807. 



t This account was communicated by a friend of Dr. 

 M'Donnel's. 



