366 FIGHT BETWEEN AN EA GLE AND A FOX 



petticoats, etc., from the latter's wife, and clad them- 

 selves in white, so as not to be visible to the deer. 

 Whilst waiting for the beaters to drive the hinds 

 to them, they observed a fine greyhound fox bur- 

 rowing and disappearing in the snow, all except its 

 brush ; this went on for some ten minutes, when it 

 was seen to drag something, which proved to be 

 a white hare, out of the snow. The fox killed it 

 and retired to a rock where the snow was thin and 

 the wind had left a bare spot, where he prepared to 

 enjoy a warm meal on so cold a day. While they were 

 watching this performance through their glasses, my 

 friend observed the fox look up suddenly into the sky 

 and then scratch the hare under him with his feet. 

 Down came an eagle, which they had not noticed, 

 to claim his share of the feast, and a desperate en- 

 gagement, which lasted fully ten minutes, ensued. 

 The eagle attacked the fox with its beak and wings, 

 and the latter retaliated when he could by taking a 

 bunch of feathers out of the eagle's breast ; but the 

 fox was unable to withstand the attacks made on him 

 by the eagle from above, and after a time gave in to 

 the combined blows of the wings and talons of the 

 eagle, and had to shift off from the hare. The eagle 

 immediately seized the opportunity, and pouncing on 

 the hare, carried it off, leaving ' our friend Mr. Rey- 

 nard ' to find another hare for his dinner, if, as is 

 doubtful, he was, after his encounter, in a fit condition 

 to do so. 



The above strange battle was witnessed by Mr. 

 Colin Ross, son of the late Mr. Horatio Ross, and 

 he told me that when the fox snapped at the eagle 

 he took quite a handful of feathers out of his breast. 



