The Golden Eagle 
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On 
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Thus the “king of birds,” which we have every reason to 
believe is one of those which pair for life and which is usually 
seen hunting in company with its mate, (save indeed in the 
nesting season or on occasions when a single bird may go in 
quest of food), has been portrayed as combining in large parties 
to attack less powerful birds. Landseer’s famous picture of 
“Eagles attacking Swans” is a monumental work of mischievous 
misrepresentation, since it not only represents an impossible gather- 
ing of Eagles but attributes to them methods of attack which no 
Eagle ever adopted, since Eagles strike or pounce on their quarry 
and do not engage in vulgar brawls either by land or on the water, 
Of less importance, but even more gratuitously misleading, are 
sundry modern journalistic efforts to present the Eagle as a sort 
of gryphon. I have in my mind's eye a picture of ‘ Attacked 
by Eagles” in which a man is depicted surrounded by a_ bevy 
of gigantic birds as large as ostriches with a span of wing of 12 feet 
or more. The veracious account lays the scene in a cocknified 
health resort in southern France, where Eagles are almost as 
rare as they are at Brighton. 
The Golden Eagles who are my friends, (save indeed on the 
rare occasions when I take eggs from their nests) are quite another 
bird, averaging about 10 to 12 lbs. in weight and with a span of 
wing of rather over 6 feet. Those who see my sketches and 
photographs of the various homes of the Golden Eagle I have 
from time to time visited ask me ‘What do you do when you 
are attacked?” Please note the formula:—It is not, Do they 
ever attack you? Here again I must plead to being equally 
unfortunate, for not only do my Golden Eagles never hunt in 
bands like wolves or adopt casual babies, but despite the scores 
of times I have descended by means of ropes or escaladed big 
cliffs in quest of Eagles’ nests, I have never had the honour of 
being attacked by the infuriated parents. 
