40 THE HOME-LIFE OF 



listening and watchful attitude, she left him for the night, 

 taking away with her a huge casting which he had ejected. 



During the morning of the 13th two visits of the 

 female were recorded, at 9.20 and at 11.45, on both of 

 which occasions she brought the Eaglet a grouse. A 

 deluge of rain interfered with photography, but during 

 a lull in the storm, at about 4 o'clock, she dropped in 

 with the hindquarters of a full-grown hare, rousing the 

 Eaglet from his afternoon's siesta (Plate 26). After she 

 had taken her departure, he settled down once more 

 under the ledge and was still in this position when 

 I returned on the following morning. This day passed 

 somewhat uneventfully, but in the afternoon the 

 mother brought a young grouse in her talons, while 

 at the same time she carried in her beak a morsel 

 of red flesh (Plate 27), with which she endeavoured to 

 beguile him away. He wondered what she held in her 

 foot, but she refused to satisfy him, and gradually walked 

 away towards the stones which barred his progress to 

 the next ledge. Standing on them, with the prey 

 still firmly held in her talons, she offered him the morsel 

 of meat from her beak, but backed suddenly to the ledge 

 below before he could seize it. He was now furious and 

 flapped his wings in unavailing protest, eventually 

 attempting to follow her over the rampart. She 

 encouraged him in his endeavours by coming nearer with 

 fragments of flesh from time to time, and this most 

 fascinating scene was ultimately brought to a close by 

 the Eaglet, half-climbing, half-flying to the top of one of 

 the stones, whence, rendered desperate by the sight of the 

 red meat, he jumped down to the ledge below. She now 

 allowed him to devour the prey, her object having 

 been successfully accomplished. I therefore rebuilt the 

 barrier, making it more formidable, as it was evident 

 that the Eagles were determined to induce their offspring 

 to take his regular exercise. 



On the next morning a gale was raging, but the mist had 



