THE EAGLE. 



109 



they will distinguish fish swimming near the surface, 

 and shooting down with the speed and straightness of 

 an arrow's course, will plunge into the water, and seize 

 them with their talons. Often, however, they have 

 no reason to boast of their success, for, when carrying 

 off their prize, a larger Eagle, generally on the look-out, 

 gives chase, and forces them to drop the fish, which the 

 other catches before it reaches the water. This larger 

 bird, however, is himself sometimes made prisoner by 

 the singular mode he practises of providing for his 

 meals; the following is not the only instance with which 

 we are acquainted, but as it is sanctioned by the autho- 

 rity of a respectable Scotch clergyman, we give it at 

 full length, in preference to others we have met with. 

 The anecdote is told of the Erne, or White-headed 



Eagle. A halibut, a 

 large flat-fish, resembling 

 a turbot, reposing on or 

 near the surface of the 

 water, was perceived by 

 an Erne, which immedi- 

 ately pounced down and 

 struck his talons into the 

 fish with all his force. 

 Should the halibut be 

 too strong, the Eagle, it 

 is said, is sometimes but 

 rarely drowned in the 

 struggle. In this case, 

 however, as more fre- 

 quently happens, he over- 

 came the fish; on which he remained as if floating on a 

 raft, and then spreading out his wide wings, he made 

 use of them as sails, and was driven by the wind towards 

 the shore. On landing their first object is to disengage 

 their claws by eating the flesh in which they are buried, 

 but before the Erne, of which we are speaking, could 

 effect this, some lookers-on rushed in, and took him alive. 





Eale 



