102 



THE EAGLE. 



about him, and then, again descending, proceeded to tear the 

 flesh from the hones, and devour the carcase at leisure. 



But, besides warm-blooded animals and birds, most, if 

 not all, the Eagle tribe will readily feed on fish ; some sorts 

 indeed, prefer them, and live in the neighbourhood of large 

 lakes on the sea- shore. 



Some of these birds are gifted with such extraordinary 

 clearness of sight, that from a great height in the air, they 

 will distinguish fish swimming near the surface, and, shooting 

 down with the speed and straightness of an arrow's course, 

 will plunge into the water, and seize them with their talons. 

 Often, however, they have no reason to boast of their 

 success, for, when carrying off their prize, a larger Eagle, 

 generally on the look-out, gives chase, and forces them to 

 drop the fish, which the other catches before it reaches the 

 water. This larger bird, however, is himself sometimes made 

 prisoner by the singular mode he practises of providing for 

 his meals. The following is not the only instance with which 

 we are acquainted, but as it is sanctioned by the authority 

 of a respectable Scotch clergyman, we give it at full length, 

 in preference to others we have met with. The anecdote 



is told of the Erne, or 

 White-headed Eagle. A 

 halibut, a large flat-fish, 

 resembling a turbot, re- ' 

 posing on or near the sur- 

 face of the water, was per- 

 ceived by an Erne, which 

 immediatelypounceddown 

 and struck his talons into 

 the fish with all his force. 

 Should the halibut be too 

 strong, the Eagle, it is 

 said, is sometimes, but , 

 rarely, drowned in the 

 struggle. In this case, 

 however, 'as more fre- 

 qently happens, he overcame the fish; on which he re- 



