LOCH C RERAN. 



kingly prisoner lay on his bundle of straw, or rather half 

 crouched with his back towards us, as he turned his head 

 lazily, and gave the feeble childish cry that is all that 

 emanates from the tribe. He stretches his wings help- 

 lessly as if to deprecate handling, for does not the lady 

 who claims his majesty's allegiance draw them out to 

 exhibit their splendid proportions, as if the golden eagle 

 were a pet turkey fattening for Christmas ! His de- 

 meanour is simply careless and indifferent, and the 

 attitude not noble, so we muster courage to demand an 

 account of his iate gay and lively comrades in captivity, 

 the two young kestrels from his own native Kingairloch 

 cliffs. What answer can he give, indeed ? are not the 

 wing feathers all that remain of the bonny birds that 

 have gone to build up the frame of this King of the 

 Cannibal Islands. No doubt as " falcons " they 

 approached and claimed kinship, and showed a clear 

 record of a life of rapine and reiving on the part of their 

 ancestors to the flood ; but although " corbies will no' 

 pick out corbies' een," a golden eagle in captivity, in 

 place of sympathising with his associates, has not 

 hesitated to devour a brace of kestrels, with rabbit lying 

 alongside ! 



Well for you, my little beauty, that we removed you 

 from the claws of the spoiler, or you would doubtless 

 have shared the fate of } our brothers. Our kestrel is 

 becoming an interesting pet, and no longer attacks those 

 it knows with beak and claw. With a little coaxing it 

 will step upon our hand, and loves to be talked to and 

 taken notice of. We removed it from the kitchen, where 

 it had free quarters, to a roomy cage against the wall 

 outside ; but it did not get sufficient company there, and 

 pined sadly, so it had to be taken in again by the sym- 



