92 THE EAGLE AND HER TREY. 



or writing distance, one can, by gazing intently for 

 some time at small objects very near to the eye, recover 

 its tone, though after such an effort, distant objects 

 will be dim for some time. 



It is probable that the eyes of birds, more especially 

 eagles that soar high, and depend wholly upon their 

 sight, have this power much more vigorously than 

 the eyes of men ; and it is not unlikely that the third 

 eye-lid, or nictitating membrane which they possess, 

 and the apparatus with which that embraces the ball 

 of the eye, may compress and stimulate the lenses, as 

 well as lubricate, cleanse, and protect the front of the 

 eye. In the eagle, the power of this organ is won- 

 derful ; for even when she soars so high above the 

 mountains, that you can mark her large form with 

 difficulty, down she drops with unerring certainty, even 

 upon the smallest of her prey, to a depth considerably 

 below. When one is near enough, the sound of her 

 descent is like the rustle of a whirlwind ; and even as 

 one sees her through the telescope, if the prey be 

 worthy of her, the descent is grand. Those wings, 

 upon which she the moment before floated with so 

 much grace and ease, are dashed behind her, as if they 

 were a useless impediment ; but these formidable 

 weapons are, all the while, kept in readiness, if they 

 should be needed, to aid the talons in the work of 

 death. If she mistakes or misses, and it is not often 

 that she does the one or the other, for her eye is keen 

 and her aim is true, she shoots away at a distance, as 

 if she had been unworthy of herself: but when her aim 

 is sure ; when the ptarmigan or the mountain hare is 

 transfixed ; and, while she exults for a moment over 



