BIRDS'-NESTS. 141 



f material that would fill a half -bushel measure ; or 

 by the fish-hawk, which adds to and repairs its nest 

 year after year, till the whole would make a cart-load. 

 The rarest of all nests is that of the eagle, because 

 the eagle is the rarest of all birds. Indeed so seldom 

 is the eagle seen that its presence always seems acci- 

 dental. It appears as if merely pausing on the way, 

 while bound for some distant unknown region. One 

 September, while a youth, I saw the ring-tailed 

 eagle, an immense, dusky bird, the sight of which 

 filled me with awe. It lingered about the hills for 

 two days. Some young cattle, a two-year-old colt, 

 and half a dozen sheep were at pasture on a high 

 ridge that led up to the mountain, and in plain view 

 of the house. On the second day this dusky mon- 

 arch was seen flying about above them. Presently 

 he began to hover over them, after the manner of a 

 hawk watching for mice. He then with extended 

 legs let himself slowly down upon them, actually 

 grappling the backs of the young cattle, and fright- 

 ening the creatures so that they rushed about the 

 Geld in great consternation ; and finally, as he grew 

 bolder and more frequent in his descents, the whole 

 herd broke over the fence and came tearing down 

 to the house "like mad." It did not seem to be 

 an assault with intent to kill, but was perhaps a 

 stratagem resorted to in order to separate the herd 

 and expose the lambs, which hugged the cattle very 

 closely. When he occasionally alighted upon the 

 oaks that stood near, the branch could be seen to 



