CH. VII. ■ GOLDEN EAGLE. 107 



of a couple of lines which I fell in with, that 

 seem a propos to this instinct of the osprey which 

 leads her to find out and take possession of all 

 the rocks of this particular shape that are to be 

 found in the lochs of Sutherland : — 



' ' Ni fallat fatuni Scoti quocunque locatum 

 Invenient Lapidem, regnare tenentur ibidem." 



I cannot remember whom I quote from. 



We drove again through the magnificently wild 

 country which intervenes between Kyleska and 

 Inchnadamph. Above the shoulder of the moun- 

 tain, which stands conspicuously in front of the inn, 

 a golden eagle was hunting. The distance at which 

 this bird can see her prey has often been talked of, 

 but I never saw her power in this respect so fully 

 displayed as on this occasion. The eagle was hover- 

 ing so high in the air that she looked like a speck, 

 when suddenly she distinguished a grouse on the 

 heather, even at that immense distance. The height 

 was too great to make a direct swoop, so the noble 

 bird, instead of coming down straight at the grouse, 

 almost closed her wings, and wheeled with rapid 

 circles downwards from her first height, till she was 

 within a more moderate distance from the ground. 

 The grouse seemed then to have hidden itself, for the 

 eagle remained hovering for a few minutes, turning 



