To Mountain Tarn 



instinct. Between the shooter of large bags on 

 easy terms and the peregrine, the bird has the 

 truer spark. She loves sport for its own sake, 

 and seeks to win in a fair heat. The bird, which 

 by reason of speed or resource escapes, she prob- 

 ably respects, and will measure herself against 

 some other day. Her appetites are secondary ; 

 her sporting instincts dominate. She prefers the 

 sauce of chase, and the more piquant the better. 

 She will leave a languid capture in midmeal at 

 the challenge of some nobler quarry. 



From Sutherlandshire, the report, 1 5th January 

 1898, was that golden eagles abounded over the 

 county, being preserved by the Duke. Falcons 

 were to be met with. No word of protection. 

 No change has come about since. Eagles are 

 increasing, not falcons ; and that where the pro- 

 prietor is humane and the policy liberal. So it is 

 all over Scotland, protection of the golden eagle, 

 except where the illiberal or inhumane kill both. 

 Always the falcon that is left to her fate. One is 

 sometimes tempted to wish that it were the other 

 way. 



In all but size, the falcon is the nobler. She is 

 neither so loose nor so lumbering, nor so gross of 

 appetite, nor so indifferent, where and how she 

 finds her prey. In the golden eagle appetite is 

 first, the sporting instinct is absent. Within limits 

 he may have his preferences. Mountain hares 

 are more easily seen than sitting, and more readily 



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