30 THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 



The structure by means of which the Eagle is enabled to use its talons with such 

 terrible effect is equally beautiful and simple, and as it is closely connected with many 

 of the habits of birds, deserves separate mention. 



Many observant persons have been struck with the curious fact, that a bird 

 can hold its position upon a branch or perch even whilst sleeping, and that in many 

 instances the slumbering bird retains its hold of the perch by a single foot, the 

 other limb being drawn up and buried in the feathers. As this grasp of the perch is 

 clearly an involuntary one, it is evidently independent of the mere will of the bird, 

 and due to some peculiar formation. On removing the skin from the leg of any 

 bird, and separating the muscles from each other, the structure in question is easily 

 seen. The muscles which move the leg and foot, and the tendons which form the 

 attachment of the muscles to the bones, are so arranged, that whenever the bird bends 

 its leg the foot is forcibly closed, and is relaxed as soon as the leg is straightened. A 

 bird is totally unable to keep its foot open when its leg is bent, as may be seen by 

 watching a common fowl as it walks along, closing its toes as it lifts the foot from 

 the ground, and spreading them as they come to the ground again. It will be seen, 

 therefore, that when a bird falls asleep upon a branch, the legs are not only bent 

 but pressed downwards by the weight of the body, so that the claws hold the perch 

 with an involuntary grasp, which is necessarily tightened according to the depth of the 

 bird's slumbers. When, therefore, an Eagle desires to drive his talons into the body of his 

 prey, he needs only to sink downwards with his whole weight, and the forcible bending of 

 the legs will effect his purpose without the necessity for any muscular exertion. Exertion, 

 indeed, is never needlessly used by the Eagle, for it is very chary of exercising its great 

 muscular powers, and unless roused by the sight of prey, or pressed to fly abroad in search 

 of food, will sit upon a tree or a point of rock for hours together, as motionless as a 

 stuffed figure. 



Voracious though it be, and capable of gorging itself to the full like any vulture, 

 the Eagle can sustain a prolonged fast from meat or drink ; and on one occasion, when 

 wounded, made voluntary abstinence for a fortnight before it would touch the food with 

 which it was liberally provided. 



THE first, and one of the finest, of these grand birds is the well-known GOLDEN EAGLE. 

 This magnificent bird is spread over a large portion of the world, being found in the 

 British Islands, and in various parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. The colour 

 of this bird is a rich blackish-brown on the greater part of the body, the head and neck 

 being covered with feathers of a rich golden red, which have earned for the bird its 

 popular name. The legs and sides of the thighs are grey-brown, and the tail is a deep 

 grey, diversified with several regular, dark-brown bars. The cere and the feet are yellow. 

 In its immature state the plumage of the Golden Eagle is differently tinged, the whole of 

 the feathers being reddish-brown, the legs and sides of the thighs nearly white, and the 

 tail white for the first three quarters of its length. So different an aspect does the 

 immature bird present, that it has been often reckoned as a separate species, and named 

 accordingly. It is a truly magnificent bird in point of size, for an adult female measures 

 about three feet six inches in length, and the expanse of her wings is nine feet. The 

 male is less by nearly six inches. 



In England the Golden Eagle has long been extinct ; but it is still found in some 

 plenty in the highlands of Scotland and Ireland, where it is observed to frequent certain 

 favourite haunts, and to breed regularly in the same spot for a long series of years. Their 

 nest is always made upon some elevated spot, generally upon a ledge of rock, and is 

 most inartistically constructed of sticks, which are thrown apparently at random, and 

 rudely arranged for the purpose of containing the eggs and young. A neighbouring ledge 

 of rock is generally reserved for a larder, where the parent Eagles store up the food which 

 they bring from the plains below. The contents of this larder are generally of a most 

 miscellaneous description, consisting of hares, partridges, and game of all kinds, lambs, 

 rabbits, young pigs, fish, and other similar articles of food. An Eagle's nest might there- 

 fore be supposed to be an unpleasant neighbour to the farmers, but it is said that the birds . 



