THE BEARDED EAGLE. 59 



Powers of abstinence. 



Irave conveyed thither, leaving the entrails of 

 some animal in its stead; but as this cannot be 

 done so expeditiously as to prevent the young 

 eagles from devouring part of their food, the 

 shepherds are under the necessity of bringing 

 our supply somewhat mutilated." 



The golden eagle is remarkable for its longe- 

 vity, and its power of sustaining abstinence from 

 food for a surprising length of time. One that 

 died at Vienna had been in confinement above a 

 century ; and one that was in the possession of 

 a gentleman of Conway, in Caernarvonshire, 

 was, from the neglect of his servants, kept for 

 three weeks without any food. M. de Bufibn 

 was also assured, by a person of veracity, that 

 one of them, being caught in a fox-trap, existed 

 iive weeks without any aliment. It showed no 

 appearance of languor till the last eight days, 

 and was at length killed, in order to put a period 

 to its sufferings. 



THE BEARDED EAGLE. 



THE bearded eagle, of which so many ro- 

 mantic tales have been related, inhabits the high- 

 est parts of die great chain of the Alps, that se- 

 parates Switzerland from Italy ; where they are 

 frequently seen of immense size. One that was 

 caught in the Canton of Glaurus, is said to have 

 measured nearly seven feet from the tip of the 

 H 2 



