THE EAGLE. 129 



times so merciful as not to attack small and weak ani- 

 mals, when he .can find those that are larger and 

 stronger. It is not until he has long suffered the in* 

 suiting cries of the rook and magpie, that this noble 

 bird thinks fit to punish them for their folly. Like the 

 lion, the Eagle disdains to share his plunder with any 

 other animal ; and, unless pressed with hunger, w r ill 

 not eat any thing which he has not killed himself. Like 

 him, also, the Eagle is solitary, always driving away 

 all other rapacious birds, and keeping the desert where 

 he lives to himself. It is as uncommon to see two 

 pairs of Eagles in the same mountain, as it is to see two 

 lions in the same desert. The lion and the Eagle have 

 both fierce, sparkling eyes ; their claws are of the 

 same form, and the cry of both is equally terrible to 

 the beasts of the forest and the fowls of the air. 



The Eagle is tamed with great difficulty ; and even 

 when taken young and treated w r ith kindness, will 

 sometimes turn upon his master, and wound him in a 

 terrible manner. 



Of all birds, the Eagle flies the highest, and can see 

 to the greatest distance; but his sense of smelling is 

 not so good as that of the Vulture. He is so strong, 

 as to fly away with lambs, kids, ..geese, and sometimes 

 even with children. In Scotland, a child happening 

 to be at play out of doors, an Eagle flew down, took 

 it up, and carried it to his nest. But fortunately, the 

 poor infant received no injury on the journey, and the 

 affrighted parents pursuing after the robber, went to 

 the nest in time to take it away, before it was in the 

 least hurt. 



The Eagle is at all times powerful and ferocious, but 

 12* 



