THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 55 



Eagles' nests. 



flew in his face with so much violence, that he 

 was terribly wounded, but was fortunately driven 

 so far back by the blow as to be out of all further 

 danger. The screams of the eagle alarmed the 

 family: who found the poor man lying at some 

 distance, equally stunned with the fright and the 

 fall. The animal was still pacing and screaming 

 in the most terrible rage; and just as the party 

 withdrew he broke his chain, by the violence of 

 his exertions, and escaped for ever. 



The golden eagle builds its nest in elevated 

 rocks, dilapidated castles and towers, and other 

 solitary places. Its form resembles that of a 

 floor: its basis consisting of sticks about five or 

 six feet in length, which are supported at each 

 end, and covered with several layers of rushes 

 and heath. It is generally placed in a dry and 

 inaccessible situation ; and the same nest is said 

 to serve during the life of the architect. 



An eagle's nest, found in the Peak of Derby- 

 shire, has been thus described : " It was made of 

 great sticks, resting one end on the edge of a. 

 rock, the other on a birch tree. Upon these was 

 a layer of rushes, and over them a layer of heath, 

 and on the heath rushes again ; upon which lay 

 one young, and an addle egg; and by them a 

 lamb, a hare, and three heath pouts. The nest 

 was about two yards square, and had no hollow 

 in it." 



The females generally lay two or three eggs, 

 are hatched in thirty days. They feed 



