ON ORNITHOLOGY. 423 



four of these birds sitting on the dead tops of the old oaks 

 after a successful hunt. The more the deer are pursued 

 the greater is the number of eagles that appear, and if the 

 trouble was taken to lay out a deer every week at a particular 

 spot, and the birds not shot at, one could within a short time 

 collect a very large number of eagles in this single preserve. 

 In 1876 I exposed a deer in front of my hut on four occa- 

 sions, and spent four momings at the place, killing three 

 " Stein " Eagles and wounding one Sea-Eagle, which, unfor- 

 tunately, got away. 



I have observed that the " Stein " Eagle also comes to 

 carrion even when in quite a high condition, but this it does 

 very reluctantly and only if much pressed for food. I have 

 only once shot one of these birds at a dead horse, and on that 

 day the ground was covered with several feet of snow, while 

 the temperature had fallen below zero. 



One may say that this eagle is, as a rule, very fastidious, 

 for as long as hunting promises to be successful it disdains all 

 inferior food. If a deer is killed in the afternoon and laid 

 in front of the decoy-hut just as it is getting dark, without 

 its being gralloched or any trace of human hands left upon 

 it, one can make sure of seeing a " Stein " Eagle on the 

 following day. In the early morning, often before daybreak, 

 it appears at the place ; and the way to make still more 

 sure of a meeting with the bold robber is to place an Eagle- 

 Owl near the dead game, and then jealousy and an innate 

 hatred of its nocturnal foe is added to its greediness for the 

 feast. In this way I have killed six of these eagles, two of 

 them in one day, and even within one hour. 



It is a mistake to think that the " Stein " Eagle is an ex- 

 cessively shy and cunning bird, for, conscious of its powers, 

 it is bold, quick, and impatient, and can therefore be easily 

 deceived and lured into danger. 



When it is quietly sitting on a tree and becomes aware of 



