53 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Similarity between the eagle and the lion. 



colour. The legs are yellow, and feathered to. 

 the toes, which are scaly : the claws are remark- 

 ably large, the middle one being nearly two 

 inches in length. 



This eagle has been considered to bear the 

 same dominion over birds, which has been, 

 almost universally, attributed to the lion over 

 quadrupeds. Buffon is also of opinion that they 

 Jjave many points of resemblance, both physical 

 and moral. " Magnanimity," says he, " is 

 equally conspicuous in bpth ; they despise the 

 small animals, and disregard their insults. It is 

 only after a series of provocations, after being 

 teased with the noisy or harsh notes of the raven 

 or magpie, that the eagle determines to punish 

 their temerity or their insolence with death. 

 Both disdain the possession of that property 

 which is not the fruit of their own industry ; re-, 

 jecting with contempt the prey which is not pro- 

 cured by their own exertions. Both are remark- 

 able for their temperance. This species seldom, 

 devours the whole of his game, but, like the lion, 

 leaves the fragments and offals to the other ani- 

 mals. Though famished for want of prey, he 

 disdains to feed upon carrion. 



' Like the lion also he is solitary, the inhabi- 

 tant of a desert, over which he reigns supreme, 

 excluding all the other birds from his silent do- 

 main. It is more uncommon, perhaps, to se 

 two pair of eagles in the same tract of mountain. 



