THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 93 



once fortunate enough to be very near one of these noble 

 birds. In climbing some high 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, com- 

 ing, 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 approaching 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 distance 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 stamped with 

 his feet, 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 himself 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. 

 'This was the large Golden Eagle, a species occasionally 



