THE EAGLE. 247 



the deer's horns, and beats its wings constantly about its eyes, 

 which puts the deer to run continually till it falls into a ditch 

 or over a precipice, where it dies, and so becomes a prey to 

 this cunning hunter. There are at the same time several 

 other Eagles of this kind, which fly on both sides of the deer, 

 which fright it exceedingly, and contribute much to its more 

 sudden destruction." 



We rather doubt the latter portion of this statement,which 

 describes several Eagles as uniting their exertions against the 

 deer ; as we do not remember to have met with any other 

 instance of more than a single pair hunting together. The 

 Eagle never engages in a perfectly solitary chase, except when 

 the female is confined to her eggs or her young. At that sea- 

 son the proper prey of these Eagles is generally so abundant 

 that the male is able to provide for his own wants and those 

 of the family without the assistance of the female. At other 

 times they unite their exertions, and are always seen either 

 together or only at a short distance from each other. It is 

 said that the one beats the bushes, while the other, perched 

 on an eminence, watches the escape of the prey. 



Pennant adds his authority to the former part of Martin's 

 statement, and says that the Eagles in the island of Rum 

 have nearly extirpated the deer that used to abound there. 

 He also states that Eagles seem to give a preference to the 

 carcases of cats and dogs. "Persons who make it their busi- 

 ness to kill these birds lay that of one or other by way of 

 bait, and then conceal themselves within gun-shot. They 

 lire the instant the Eagle alights, for she that moment looks 

 about before she begins to prey." 



Martin, in the work just quoted, relates the following anec- 

 dote : and one very similar is also related by Sir Robert Sib- 

 bald. "There's a couple of large Eagles who have their nest 

 on the north end of the isle [St. Kilda.] The inhabitants 

 told me that they commonly make their purchase in the ad- 

 jacent isles and continent, and never take so much as a lamb 

 or hen from the place of their abode, where they propagate 

 their kind, I forgot to mention a singular providence that 



