THE EAGLE IN ENGLAND 271 



mountain-hares which live on the hills, and often spoil 

 the success of a hard morning's stalking by jumping up 

 and alarming the deer. For once, the sportsman and a 

 bird of prey can exist together, and the eagles are 

 carefully protected in order that they may aid in 

 keeping the forests clear of all other animals but deer. 

 In these vast preserves quiet, secluded, and untrodden 

 by sheep or shepherds the golden eagles are now 

 suffered to rear their young, and have so far increased 

 in numbers that it is rare to meet with a deer-stalker 

 who is not familiar with their appearance, and in some 

 degree with their habits. They occasionally kill a deer- 

 calf, and have been known to attack the full-grown 

 deer. But their main food is the blue hares, and these 

 are so numerous that the problem of maintaining in 

 any numbers a carnivorous bird which will swallow 

 five or six pounds of meat at a meal presents no 

 difficulties. It is quite likely that, where several of 

 these protected districts adjoin, the golden eagles will 

 once more become numerous. In California, where 

 they find an inexhaustible supply of food in the 

 land-tortoises of the plains a curious commentary on 

 the story of the death of ^Eschylus, caused by a tortoise 

 let fall by an eagle they are not only common but 

 exceedingly tame, building their nests near roads and 

 houses. One nest was found in a small live-oak near a 

 road, and only thirty feet from the ground, built of 

 sticks of the poison-oak and sage-brush. An old 

 nest was close by. Another eagle had decorated its 

 nest with a large " soap-root " by way of ornament ; 



