ERNE. 



cliffs, or mountain sides, the open moors, or the shores of the 

 ocean or lake, sailing with a gentle and hardly perceptible 

 motion of its wings, like the Buzzard, or, if flying off in a 

 straight line to a distance, with regular flappings like a Raven. 

 "When at rest, in its ordinary position, it sits with its wings 

 drooped, like the Cormorants and Vultures, with the latter of 

 which it was indeed classed by Linnasus, and it will be per- 

 ceived that I have placed it next to those birds for the like 

 and other reasons. It is not so easy on the wing as the Golden 

 Eagle, though swift and strong in flight on occasion, and often 

 extremely graceful. It rises with difficulty from a level surface, 

 along which it flaps for some distance before it can do so, 

 and may thus sometimes be brought within gun-shot, by 

 running or riding down quickly upon it. It is described as 

 being therefore for this reason seldom met with in such a 

 situation at rest, but as then preferring some projection, or 

 pointed surface, from which it can the more easily launch into 

 the air: when it has done so and has got upon the wing, it 

 wheels away in large circles. 



Fish afford its proper and most congenial food, and these 

 it occasionally plunges upon, after the manner of the Osprey, 

 a little below the surface, and sometimes, an humble imitator 

 of the predacious White-headed Eagle, is said to rob the original 

 captor, the Osprey, of its prey, by forcing it to drop it in 

 the air, and then seizing it before it has time to fall into its 

 native element. 



It also preys on various aquatic birds, such as gulls, puffins, 

 and guillemots; occasionally on fawns, young roebucks, and 

 even, though very rarely, on full-grown deer, as well as on sheep 

 and other smaller animals, lambs, dogs, and cats, as also, on 

 straggling domestic poultry, and in default of these, will readily 

 feed on carrion of any kind. Herein also it seems to shew 

 a strong affinity to the Vultures, for on meeting with such, it 

 remains on the spot for hours and sometimes for days together, 

 and quits it only when it no longer affords the means of 

 satisfying the cravings of its appetite. A whole puffin was 

 once found in the stomach of one of these birds. This species 

 has the power of abstaining for a very long time from food. 

 One has been known to have lived for four or live weeks 

 in 'total abstinence.' 



Its note, which is a double one a harsh and loud scream, 

 uttered many times in succession and which may be heard 

 at the distance of a mile or more, is shriller and sharper than 



