THE EAGLE. 101 



the water, was perceived by an Erne, which immediately 

 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 frequently happens, he overcame 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. 



The Vulture, too, floats on a prey of a very different 

 description. In the rivers of the East, says a traveller,* one 

 is constantly shocked with the sight of a floating corpse with 

 a Vulture perched upon it, and expanding its wings to cause it 

 to land, that it may devour its horrid meal in leisure. 



Erom what has been said, it will be readily believed that 

 they are most voracious in their appetites. These large fish- 

 eaters have been known to consume a bucketful a day ; and, 

 as if aware at the same time of the uncertainty of always 

 ensuring a supply, particularly when they have, in addition 

 to their own wants, their young to provide for, they are in 

 the habit of collecting an over-abundance on the high rocks 

 where their nests are situated, so as to have an ample stock 

 in hand. And so well aware are the North American Indians 

 of these stores, that an Eagle's nest is -familiarly called an 

 Indian's larder; from which the wild hunters can readily 

 supply themselves, at least during the breeding and rearing 

 season, from May to September, with a plentiful store of 

 hares, ducks, and geese, besides fish.f 



In England, though large Eagles are now very rare, 

 naturalists have met with similar instances. Mr. Willoughby, 

 an excellent authority, mentions a nest which he saw in the 

 woodlands, near the river Derwent, in the Peak of Derby- 



* Transatlantic Sketches, vol. ii. 

 t Hearne's Journey. 



