SPRING-TIME ON THE MOUNTAINS. 69 



the big birds may be seen beating along the coast, 

 or foraging inland in quest of any garbage or 

 weakly, wounded bird or animal. This Eagle is 

 very Vulture-like in its habits, and is also very 

 fond of fish, preferring to prey upon the dead, 

 stranded ones lying on the beach rather than to 

 catch them for itself. 



It is only the very earliest dawn of spring-tide 

 yet among these upland solitudes ; but most of the 

 resident birds are either breeding or just about to 

 do so. Sterile and desolate look the hillsides ; 

 cold and cutting the March wind ; yet in another 

 month a vast change will have come over the 

 scene, and thousands of birds from the lowlands, 

 and from across the sea, will have arrived for the 

 summer, and the moors and mountains will echo 

 their glad call-notes and joyful songs. Content 

 with what we have already seen, we will defer a 

 second visit until a more congenial season. 



