593 EAPTOEES, OE BIEDS OF PEEY. 



away by Eagles are rare, for they generally avoid the vicinity of 

 man, feeling unable to cope with him successfully. The chief 

 objects of their attacks are newly-born lambs, which they fre- 

 quently carry off in spite of the shouts of the shepherds and the 

 proximity of his dogs. Sometimes they devote their attention to 

 young calves ; they do not, however, attempt to carry them off, 

 but feed on them where slaughtered. 



A considerable amount of ingenuity has been displayed by 

 some men in turning to account the habit which Eagles have 

 of storing up a quantity of provisions in their nests for the 

 sustenance of their young. A peasant in Ireland kept himself 

 and the whole of his family for an entire season by robbing the 

 Eaglets in a neighbouring aerie of the stores of food which were 

 brought to them by the parent birds. In order to prolong this 

 singular means of livelihood, report says, he endeavoured to delay 

 the moment when the young ones would be driven forth, adopting 

 the artifice of cutting their wings to render it impossible for them 

 to fly. 



Eagles are very suspicious, and it is consequently difficult to get 

 within gunshot of them. The mountaineers of the Pja^enees suffer 

 much from the ravages they make among their flocks, and for 

 this reason brave many dangers to destroy the young birds. 



" This pursuit," says M. Gerard, " is carried on by two men ; 

 one of the hunters is armed with a double-barrelled carbine, the 

 other with a kind of iron pike about two feet long. At the 

 first indication of daybreak the hunters reach the mountain- 

 peak where the Eagle has his aerie, just at the time that the old 

 birds are away seeking food. The first stands on the summit of 

 the rock, and, carbine in hand, waits the arrival of the Eagle. 

 The other makes his way down to the nest, climbing from cleft 

 to cleft by means of cords. With a bold hand the Eaglets are 

 grasped, still too young to oppose resistance. The parents, hearing 

 the cries of their young, swoop down furiously, and fall upon the 

 intrepid mountaineer, who beats them off with thrusts of his pike, 

 whilst his companion waits a favourable opportunity to dehver his 

 fire, which generally terminates the contest." 



The Eagle has been taken in snares ; but if the instrument is 

 not fastened down securely to the ground, the bird will tear it 



