22 THE HOME-LIFE OF 



up into the air. The young one was now expecting to 

 be fed, but she suddenly changed her mind, and flew 

 away once more. 



In the evening, about 6 o'clock, the Eagle returned 

 once more to feed her young (Plate 9), and I secured 

 a picture of her in a characteristic attitude. The light 

 was now failing and dark clouds rolled up from the west, 

 putting an end to all possibility of instantaneous work. 

 The scene which followed was, however, well worth a 

 long day's patience, for the Eagle picked out the pre- 

 pared grouse again and carried it to the far side of the 

 eyrie in her beak. Here, beyond reach of the young one, 

 she gorged herself upon the entrails, coming forward 

 at intervals to the Eaglet with a titbit of liver or other 

 dainty morsel, which he greedily pecked from her beak. 

 When she herself was satisfied she brought the prey nearer 

 and proceeded to gorge the youngster till he settled down 

 contented in the nest. She then seized the remains of the 

 carcase in her beak and bore it away out of my sight. 



A moment later, having disposed of the refuse, she 

 returned and again settled herself down beside the 

 Eaglet to shelter him for the night. As this position 

 had been already photographed, I slipped quietly away 

 without disturbing her, having placed caps over the 

 lenses to shield them from the rain. 



The most extraordinary feature of the day was the 

 behaviour of the cock in splitting open a grouse for the 

 convenience of the female and the young, and I have 

 often wondered whether this is an exceptional occurrence, 

 or whether it is common during the earlier stages. It 

 was certainly never repeated during my observations, 

 and neither on this nor on any other occasion did I see 

 the cock himself feed at the nest, though he sometimes 

 gave the young one a titbit if one was handy. 



On June 4th, leaving home at 4 a.m., I found the 

 mist rising from the tops when I reached the eyrie a few 

 minutes before 7 o'clock. The sun was breaking 



