THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 11 



it can obtain, the golden eagle is only found tenanting our 

 highest mountain ranges, where, ever watchful of approach, 

 an opportunity is rarely presented to the shooter. The greater 

 number of instances where I have known eagles to be obtained 

 have been by chance shots. A fine adult male in my own 

 possession was thus obtained in the county of Kerry. A gen- 

 tleman, grouse-shooting upon the hills, observed the eagle 

 pursued by two hooded crows, and all passing him within some 

 twenty yards ; he fired, and the eagle fell to the charge des- 

 tined for the next grouse that sprung. 



An eagle was at onetime captured in the county of Meath by 

 a gamekeeper, who, surprising the bird sleeping after a sur- 

 feit off a dead sheep in the neighbourhood, conceived the idea 

 of taking him alive, and for that purpose approached noise- 

 lessly and clasped the bird in his arms. The eagle recover- 

 ing, and unable to use his wings, clutched with his talons, 

 one of which entered the man's chest, the hind claw meeting 

 the others underneath the flesh. The man, unable to disen- 

 gage the claw, strangled the bird, but the talons were yet too 

 firmly clutched to open ; taking out his knife, he severed the 

 leg from the body, and walked with the protruding member 

 to the village dispensary to have it removed.* 



An immature golden eagle once offered to me for sale was 

 purchased by a friend for five shillings ; it was as large as the 

 adult, and became very tame in confinement. Having the 

 range of a large stable, the lichen-covered rock he had perched 

 upon on the mountain was exchanged for the top of a wicker 

 crate. His favourite food was cats, contributions of which 

 were constantly furnished by his friends ; but these soon fall- 

 ing short, all the quiet tabbies in the neighbourhood were 

 seduced from their firesides and flung to the eagle. In some 

 little time, however, the inquiries were so pressing for vari- 

 ously described cats, which had strayed in the vicinity, and 

 the circumstance of a velvet collar being found in a back lane, 

 together with the fact of the eagle constantly prating his 

 " whereabouts," induced the owner to part with him. 



When a cat was flung to him, it was instantly seized, the 

 body of the eagle thrown forward; his wings and tail en- 

 folded the animal, whilst the bird's eye was keenly directed 

 upon its observers, keeping the same position whilst it was 

 aware of being watched. The cat in no instance attempted 

 to cry out after being flung to him, but appeared to have 

 been at once killed, the eagle never appearing to take a se- 



* Mr. Glennon. 



