THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 99 



precipices in the volcanic district of Auvergne, in France, 

 near a great waterfall, which dashed downwards with a 

 thundering noise ; in the midst of the loud roar of 

 waters a short shrill cry met our ear, coming, as it were, 

 from the clouds. On looking in the direction from 

 whence it came, we soon perceived a small dark speck 

 moving steadily on towards us. It was a Golden Eagle, 

 evidently coming from the plain countries below; on 

 drawing nearer we could see that his wings scarcely 

 ever moved ; he seemed to float or sail in mid-air, 

 rather than fly; though now and then, indeed, they 

 slowly flapped as if to steady him. As he was ap- 

 proaching in a direct line, we hid ourselves behind a 

 rock, and watched his motions through a telescope. 

 When first seen he could not have been at a less dis- 

 tance than a mile, but in less than a minute, he was 

 within gun-shot ; and after looking round once or twice, 

 he darted down his legs, slightly quivered, and alighted 

 on a rock within a few yards. For a moment he gazed 

 about with his sharp bright eyes, as if to assure himself 

 that all was safe ; he then, for a few moments more, 

 nestled his head beneath one of his expanded wings, 

 and appeared to plume himself. Having done this, he 

 stretched out his neck, and looked keenly and wistfully 

 towards the quarter of the heavens from whence he 

 came, and uttered a few rapid screams ; then stamping 

 with his feet, we saw him protrude his long-hooked 

 talons, at the same time snapping his hooked beak, with 

 a sharp jerking noise, like the crack of a whip. There 

 he remained for about ten minutes, manifesting great 

 restlessness, not a single instant quiet ; when suddenly 

 he seemed to hear or see something, and immediately 

 rising from the rock on which he stood, launched him- 

 self into the air, and floated away as before, uttering 

 the same shrill cry ; and looking round we beheld the 

 cause of his emotion; he had seen his mate approaching. 

 He rose to meet her, and after soaring in a circle a few 

 times, they went away, and were soon invisible to the 

 naked eye. H 2 



