THE EAGLE. 



The nest of the eagle is usually built in 

 the most inaccessible cliff of the rock, and 

 often shielded from the weather by some jut- 

 ting crag that hangs over it. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, it Is wholly exposed to the winds, as well 

 sideways as above ; for the nest is flat, though 

 built with great labour. It is said that the 

 same nest serves the eagle during life ; and in- 

 deed the pains bestowed in forming it seems to 

 argue as much. One of these was found in 

 the Peak of Derbyshire ; which Willoughby 

 thus describes. " It was made of great sticks, 

 resting one end on the edge of a rock, the 

 other on two birch trees. Upon these was a 

 layer of rushes, and over them a layer of 

 heath, and upon the heath rushes again : upon 

 which lay one young one, and an addle egg ; 

 and by them a lamb, a hare, and three heath- 

 poults. The nest was about two yards square, 

 and had no hollow in it. The young eagle 

 was of the shape of a goshawk, of almost the 

 weight of a goose, rough footed, or feathered 

 down to the foot, having a white ring about 

 the tail." Such is the place where the female 

 eagle deposits her eggs ; which seldom exceed 

 two at a time in the largest species, and not 

 above three in the smallest. It is said that 

 she hatches them for thirty days: but fre- 

 quently, even of this small number of eggs, a 

 part is addled ; and it is extremely rare to 

 find three eaglets in the same nest It is 

 asserted, that as soon as the young ones are 



and expansive wings, prevent pursuit being often tried, 

 though we have instances mentioned. Montague re- 

 lates one where a wounded grouse was seized before the 

 guns could be reloaded, and another, where a black cock 

 was sprung and instantly pursued ; " the eagle made 

 several pounces in our view, but without success." 



Mr Thompson has given us the following information 

 of the manner of hunting. An eagle was seen by Mr 

 Adams, lately gamekeeper at Glencairn, in pursuit of a 

 hare. The poor animal took refuge under every bush 

 that presented itself, which, as often as she did, the 

 eagle approached the bush, so near apparently to beat the 

 top of it with his wings, and thereby forced the hare to 

 leave her place of refuge. In this way she was event- 

 ually driven to open ground, which did not long avail, as 

 the eagle soon came up with and bore her off. Another 

 anecdote is related on the authority of a sporting friend. 

 " When out hunting among the Belfast mountains, an 

 eagle appeared above his hounds as they came to fault 

 on the ascent to Devis, the highest of the chain. As 

 they came on the scent again, and were at full cry, the 

 eagle for a short time kept above them, but at length 

 advanced and carried off the hare, when at the distance 

 of from three to four hundred paces before the hounds." 



The distribution of this species extends over the 

 northern parts of Europe ; but towards the south the 

 birds become less frequent. It also inhabits North 

 America, but appears to be there generally rare, although 

 in the United States, according to Audubon, it is fre- 

 quently seen. In the fur countries it again becomes 

 rare ; and the above mentioned naturalist saw a single 

 specimen only on the coast of Labrador, " sailing at the 

 height of a few yards above the moss-covered surface of 

 the dreary rocks." Naturalist's Library, vol. IX. by 

 Sir IPilliam Jardine, Dart. Edin. 1838. 



VOL. II. 



somewhat grown, the mother kills the most 

 feeble or the most voracious. If this happens, 

 it must proceed only from the necessities of 

 the parent, who is incapable of providing for 

 their support ; and is content to sacrifice a part 

 to the welfare of all. 



The plumage of the eaglets is not so 

 strongly marked as when they come to be 

 adult. They are at first white ; then inclin- 

 ing to yellow ; and at last of a light brown. 

 Age, hunger, long captivity, and diseases, 

 make them whiter. It is said they live above 

 a hundred years ; and that they at last die, 

 not of old age, but from the beaks turning 

 inward upon the under mandible, and thus 

 preventing their taking any food. They are 

 equally remarkable, says Mr Pennant, for 

 their longevity, and for their power of sustain- 

 ing a long abstinence from food. One of 

 this species, which has now been nine years 

 in the possession of Mr Owen Holland, of 

 Conway, lived thirty-two years with the gen- 

 tleman who made him a present of it ; but 

 what its age was when the latter received it 

 from Ireland is unknown. The same bird 

 also furnishes a proof of the truth of the other 

 remark ; having once, through the neglect of 

 servants, endured hunger for twenty-one days, 

 without any sustenance whatever. 



Those eagles which are kept tame, are fed 

 with every kind of flesh, whether fresh or 

 corrupting ; and when there is a deficiency of 

 that, bread, or other provision, will suffice. 

 It is very dangerous approaching them if not 

 quite tame ; and they sometimes send forth a 

 loud piercing lamentable cry, which renders 

 them still more formidable. The eagle drinks 

 but seldom ; and perhaps, when at liberty, 

 not at all, as the blood of its prey serves to 

 quench its thirst. The eagle's excrements are 

 always soft and moist, and tinged with that 

 whitish substance which, as was said before, 

 mixes in birds with the urine. 



Such are the general characteristics and 

 habitudes of the eagle; however, in some these 

 habitudes differ, as the sea eagle and the 

 osprey live chiefly upon fish, and consequently 

 build their nests on the shore, and by the 

 sides of rivers on the ground among reeds ; 

 and often lay three or lour eggs, rather less 

 than those of a hen, of a white elliptical form. 

 They catch their prey, which is chiefly fish, 

 by darting down upon them from above. The 

 Italians compare the violent descent of these 

 birds on their prey to the fall of lead into 

 water ; and call them aquila piombina, or the 

 leaden eagle. 



Nor is the bald eagle, (see Plate XV. fig. 

 2.) which is an inhabitant of North Carolina, 

 less remarkable for habits peculiar to itself. 

 These birds breed in that country all the year 

 round. When the eaglets are just covered 



