292 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



trate deep into the flesh. I have seen one fall on 

 a rabbit purposely tied to string, which it left on 

 rinding it could not lift it. On first seizing the 

 animal, it stood erect, with slightly drooping wings, 

 looking fiercely round for a minute or more. The 

 rabbit never moved after being grasped, and the 

 bird's talons, as I afterwards found, had penetrated 

 through the eye to the brain. A Sea Eagle, a few 

 years since, was seen by some fishermen, mending 

 their nets, to stoop at the head of a seal in the 

 Kenmare Estuary, and before the bird could dis- 

 engage its hold it was dragged under water, the 

 work of a moment. Being thoroughly soaked and 

 half-drowned ere rising, it lay on the surface with 

 extended wings, helpless and exhausted. A boat 

 put off from shore and captured the Eagle ; but it 

 never revived enough to stand upright, though it 

 lived for nearly a day. The Sea Eagle rarely seizes 

 fish other than those cast up dead or floating sickly 

 on the water. I had the good luck, not long since, 

 to see a Golden Eagle chasing a hare. We were 

 resting near the summit of one of the wildest 

 mountains in Kerry, where my companion and I 

 had climbed to fish a lake for trout. We observed 

 an Eagle flying up the steep slope a few yards 

 above ground, stopping, turning, and twisting most 

 awkwardly. We knew the bird was in pursuit of 

 some animal, but, by reason of the high heather, 

 could not discern its kind. Suddenly a hare burst 

 into the open, and all was plain to our view, hunter 

 and hunted. Every check or turn puss made, the 

 Eagle would overshoot his mark. Whenever the 

 bird stopped to seize with stretched and drooping 



