THE EAGLE AND THE SEAL. 249 



is well known, and by whom he is always treated to some 

 dainty or other. Once he so far forgot himself as to attack 

 some poultry on the property of Nynas, which crime proved 

 nearly fatal to him ; but with that exception he has never 

 done any harm, and his manifold adventures render him 

 highly interesting." 



The cinereous eagle preys not only upon fish, and the 

 larger kind of water-fowl such as ducks, geese, cranes, 

 herons, &c. but on young seals, if found basking on a 

 rock, or swimming near to the surface of the water. At 

 times, however, he makes the very grievous mistake of 

 striking his crooked talons into the back of an old seal, which 

 usually costs him his life ; for so soon as the seal finds him- 

 self thus assaulted, he forthwith dives to the bottom, and the 

 eagle being unable to extricate his claws, is, as a conse- 

 quence, obliged to follow. 



The same fate also at times awaits the eagle, if he fixes 

 his talons into an overgrown turbot or halibut; for, 

 though, as Pontoppidan says, " he may resist for a while, 

 he must yield at last, and become a prey to those he intended 

 to devour.* This," the worthy prelate goes on to remark, 

 " may serve as an emblem to many stupid and inconsiderate 

 enterprizes." 



The eagle, moreover, when pouncing on fish or animals of 

 superior power to himself, is occasionally doomed in other 

 ways than by drowning. 



* In corroboration of the truth of my statement as to pike and other fish 

 being captured sometimes with the skeletons of eagles on their backs, it may be 

 proper to mention that Pontoppidau gives us pretty much the same story. " I 

 have been told," says he, " that our Sundnioerske fishers sometimes catch the 

 halibut with eagle's talons in the backs of them, and covered over with flesh 

 and fat ; this is a mark of the fish's conquering as aforesaid." 



