BIRDS OF PREY. 305 



The Eagle. Whatever may be said of the claims of other 

 birds, the Eagle is traditionally the king of the air, as the 

 lion is king of the forest. There are a large number of 

 species of which the Golden Eagle, the Spotted Eagle, the 

 Imperial Eagle and the White-headed Sea Eagle are among 

 the best known varieties. The Golden Eagle belongs to 

 Europe and America, and is sometimes found in Scotland 

 and Ireland. It lives upon smaller birds and animals : hares, 

 young lambs and deer, grouse, plovers, &c., &c. Though the 

 eagle has often attacked children the stories of its carrying 

 them away are generally discredited. Eagles often hunt in 

 pairs and show great ferocity and determination in attacking 

 their prey. 



Eagle Mr. St. John gives the following description of 



Shooting. a shooting expedition in which he bagged a 

 pair of splendid birds. "On a very dark morning I sallied 

 out with Malcolm to take a shot at the eagles, and at last 

 I was ensconced in a hiding-place (near the dead body of a 

 sheep) which gave me hardly room to stand, sit, or lie. It 

 was scarcely grey dawn when a bird with a slow, flapping 

 flight passed, and alighted out of sight, but near, for I 

 heard him strike the ground, and my heart beat faster. 

 What was my disappointment, when his low, crowing croak 

 announced a raven; he hopped and walked suspiciously 

 round the sheep, till, supposing the coast clear, he hopped 

 upon the carcase, and began with his cut and thrust beak 

 to dig at the meat. Another raven soon joined him, and 

 then two more, who, after a kind of parley, were admitted 

 to their share of the banquet. They suddenly set up a 

 croak of alarm, stopped feeding, and all turned their knowing 

 eyes in one direction. At that moment I heard a sharp 

 scream, but very distant. The black party heard it too, 

 and instantly darted off, alighting again at a little distance. 

 Next came a rushing noise, and the monarch of the clouds 

 lighted at once on the sheep. He quietly folded up his 



20 



