EAGLES IN CAPTIVITY. $67 



parents, hearing the cries of their young, swoop down furiously, and 

 fall upon the intrepid mountaineer, who beats them off with thrusts 

 of his pike, whilst his companion waits a favourable opportunity to 

 deliver his fire, which generally terminates the contest." 



The Eagle has been taken in snares ; but if the instrument is not 

 fastened down securely to the ground, the bird will tear it up and 

 bear it off. Meisner relates that an Eagle, having been caught by the 

 foot in a fox's trap, struggled with such effect that it wrenched up 

 the trap, and earned it away to the other side of the mountain, 

 although the instrument weighed nearly nine pounds. 



The Scotch employ a peculiar method for capturing Eagles. In 

 a narrow space, bounded by four tolerably high walls, they throw 

 down pieces of raw meat. The Eagles settle to devour it. When 

 completely gorged they become too heavy to fly, and endeavour to 

 make their way out through an opening at the foot of the walls, where 

 they are caught and held fast by a running noose, which is placed in 

 front of the exit. 



The Eagle is remarkable for its longevity; but this cannot be 

 accurately determined. Klein mentions an instance of one of these 

 birds which lived in captivity in Vienna for 104 years; he also 

 speaks of a pair of Eagles in Forfarshire, in Scotland, which inha- 

 bited the same eyrie for such a length of time that the oldest 

 inhabitants remembered them from childhood. 



If captured young, Eagles are susceptible of a certain amount of 

 education; but there always remains a tinge of ferocity in their 

 nature, which renders them gloomy and sullen. When taken old 

 they are absolutely untamable. In captivity they adapt their appetite 

 to circumstances, and will even devour their own race. When nothing 

 better is to be obtained, serpents, lizards, and, according to Buffon, 

 bread are acceptable food to them. 



Although the Eagle is so irascible by nature, it has sometimes 

 given proofs of gentleness truly astonishing. We may instance the 

 bird which lived in 1807 in the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, which 

 was captured in the forest of Fontainebleau. One of its feet was 

 broken in the trap in which it was taken, and in consequence it 

 was compelled to submit to a most painful operation, which it under- 

 went with exemplary calmness and courage. Fully three months 

 elapsed before it was cured, and afterwards it became so familiar with 

 its keeper that it allowed itself to be caressed by him, and on his 

 retiring for the night the bird roosted by his couch. 



The ancient falconers of the East were not in the habit of making 

 use of the Eagle ; its want of docility and its great weight rendered 



