94 THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 



of Auvergne, in France, near a great waterfall which dashed 

 downwards with a thundering noise, in the midst of the loud 

 roar of waters, a short, shrill cry met our ear, coming, as it 

 were, from the clouds. On looking in the direction from 

 whence it came, we soon perceived a small dark speck moving 

 steadily on towards us. It was a Golden Eagle, evidently 

 coming from the plain countries below ; on drawing nearer, 

 we could see that his wings scarcely ever moved ; he seemed 

 to float or sail in mid- air, rather than fly ; though now and 

 then, indeed, they slowly flapped, as if to steady him. As 

 he was approaching in a direct line, we hid ourselves behind 

 a rock, and watched his motions through a telescope. When 

 first seen he could not have been at a less distance than 

 a mile, but in less than a minute he was within gun-shot ; 

 and after looking round once or twice, he darted down his 

 legs, slightly quivered, and alighted on a rock within a few 

 yards. For a moment he gazed about with his sharp bright 

 eyes, as if to assure himself that all was safe ; he then, for a 

 few mojnents more, nestled his head beneath one of his ex- 

 panded wings, and appeared to plume himself. Having done 

 this, he stretched out his neck, and looked keenly and wist- 

 fully towards the quarter of the heavens from whence he 

 came, and uttered a few rapid screams ; then stamping with 

 his feet, we saw him protrude his long-hooked talons, at the 

 same time snapping his hooked beak with a sharp jerking 

 noise, like the crack of a whip. There he remained for 

 about ten minutes, manifesting great restlessness, not a single 

 instant quiet; when suddenly he seemed to hear or see some- 

 thing, and immediately rising from the rock on which he 

 stood, launched himself into the air, and floated away as be- 

 fore, uttering the same shrill cry; and looking round, we 

 beheld the cause of his emotion ; he had seen his mate 

 approaching. He rose to meet her, and after soaring in 

 a circle a few times, they went away, and were soon invisible 

 to the naked eye. 



This was the large Golden Eagle, a species occasion- 

 ally found in England and Scotland, but more frequently in 



