BOOK X. IV. 12-15 



t.he stone called eagle-stone (named by sonie gagiles) 

 built into their nests, which is useful for many cures, 

 and loses none of its virtue by fire. The stone in 

 question is big with another inside it, which rattles 

 as if in a jar when you shake it. But only those 

 taken from a nest possess the medicinal power 

 referred to. They build their nests in rocks and 

 trees, and lay as many as three eggs at a time, but 

 they shut out two chicks of the brood, and have been 

 seen on occasion to eject even three. They drive 

 out the other chick when they are tired of feeding it : 

 indeed at this period nature has denied food to the 

 parent birds themselves as a precaution, so that the 

 young of all the wild animals should not be plundered ; 

 also during those days the birds' talons turn inward, 

 and their feathers grow white from want of food, so 

 that with good reason they hate their own offspring. 

 But the chicks thrown out by these birds are received 

 by the kindred breed, the bearded eagles,'* who 

 rear them with their own. However the parent bird 

 pursues them even when grown up, and drives them 

 far away, doubtless because they are competitors in 

 the chase. And apart from this a single pair of eagies 

 in order to get enough food requires a large tract of 

 country to hunt over; consequently they mark out 

 districts, and do not poach on their neighbours' pre- 

 serves. When they have made a catch they do not 

 carry it ofFat once, but first lay it on the ground, and 

 only fly away with it after first testing its weight. 

 They meet their end not from old age nor sickness but 

 from hunger, as their upper inandible grows to such a 

 size that it is too hooked for them to be able to open it. 

 They get busy and fly in the afternoon, but in the 

 earher hours of the day they perch quite idle till the 



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