THE EAGLE. 97 



receive a scratch, though there can he little doubt that had 

 the bird not been weakened by hunger, a blow or two from 

 its sharp strong beak would have penetrated through the skull 

 into the brain, and caused instant death. 



Eagles of this particular sort are very common in that part 

 of the country, and are often known to carry off a Turkey, or 

 even a Goose, but this was the first instance of their attacking 

 children, though in New South Wales a celebrated navigator, 

 Captain Flinders, met with something of the same sort He 

 was walking with some of his officers when a large Eagle, with 

 a fierce aspect and outspread wing, was seen bounding towards 

 them ; but when about twenty yards off, he flew up into a 

 tree. Soon after, another bird of the same kind appeared upon 

 the scene, and flying above their heads, made a sudden pounce 

 downwards, but checked himself before he actually touched 

 them. Captain Flinders supposed that they took him and his 

 party for kangaroos, which, when sitting up on their hind-legs, 

 according to their usual habit, are about the height and form 

 of a man. On these animals the Eagles were observed to feed, 

 having been seen watching quietly in the trees till a kangaroo 

 made its appearance, when down they flew, and tore it in 

 pieces in an instant. Probably this was the truth ; for the 

 country was very desolate, and, as far as they could judge, 

 uninhabited, so that the Eagles might never have seen men 

 before. 



The well-known crest of the Eagle and Child, borne by the 

 Stanley family, is supposed to have been founded upon a 

 tradition of one of their ancestors, when a child, having been 

 carried off by an Eagle ; and a story is told 'in a very old book 

 on English History, which, whether true or not in all its 

 particulars, proves at least the prevailing belief that Eagles 

 occasionally flew away with children; indeed, there was an 

 ancient Act of Parliament " anent the slaying of the Erne," 

 that is, concerning the slaying of the Erne, the name of a 

 particular species of Eagle (the White-tailed Eagle), in which, 

 on account of its being " a terror to farmers, from fowls to 

 children," a reward was granted to the person who should 



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