i 94 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



at night. He is a most interesting pet, and knows 

 me perfectly. ... He will not leave the house on 

 a wet day, and is equal to a weather-glass. The 

 favourite food of the Chough in a wild state is the 

 grub of what is commonly called here the ' Daddy- 

 Long- Legs.' I have shot one some years ago for my 

 Eagle, and found its craw full of them. I watched 

 mine the other day near the hall-door, and saw him 

 draw eight or nine from the grass in a few minutes. 

 ... If he sees me he will try to feed me, and often 

 puts a piece of bread to my mouth, as some Parrots 

 will try to do. Several of those I had flew away at 

 last with the wild ones. The best plan is partly to 

 clip the wing the first year. 



" I have now three Peregrine Falcons a year old. 

 . . . They breed in the same cliffs as the Choughs 

 and Eagles. We have still a good many of the latter. 

 I do not shoot them. I had an Eagle for twenty-five 

 years. She was much attached to me. She laid 

 when nineteen years old two eggs, and the following 

 year four. I put goose eggs under her, and she 

 brought out two. One of them died ; the other, with 

 care from us, lived, and grew to be a fine goose. It 

 in turn laid, and I put fertile eggs under it which it 

 brought out. The Eagle adopted the new brood, 

 and taught them all to eat meat. It almost seems to 

 be incredible, but they have been seen by hundreds 

 doing so." 



And again, in a subsequent letter, the same corre- 

 spondent added : 



" We have still several Golden Eagles in Achill 



