AVES— EAGLE. 437 



yet up to his chin in the water, the old eagles returned, and, missing their 

 young, quickly fell upon the plunderer, and, in spite of all his resistance, 

 dispatched him with their beaks and talons. 



In order to extirpate these pernicious birds, there is a law in the Orkney 

 Islands, which entitles any person that kills an eagle, to a hen out of every 

 house in the parish in which the plunderer is killed. 



The nest of the eagle is usually built in the most inaccessible cliff of the 

 rock, and often shielded from the weather by some jutting crag that hangs 

 over it. Sometimes, however, it is wholly exposed to the winds, as well 

 sideways as above ; for the nest is flat, though built with great labor. It is 

 said that the same nest serves the eagle during life ; and indeed, the pains 

 bestowed in forming it, seem to argue as much. It is asserted, that as 

 soon as the young ones are somewhat grown, the mother kills the most 

 feeble or the most voracious. If this happens, it must proceed only from 

 the necessities of the parent, who is incapable of providing for their support, 

 and is content to sacrifice a part to the welfare of the majority. After a 

 male and female have paired, they remain together for life, and never change 

 their place of abode. 



The plumage of the eaglets is not so strongly marked as when they come 

 to be adult. They are at first white ; then inclined to yellow; and at last 

 light brown. Age, hunger, long captivity, and diseases, make them whiter. 

 It is said that they live above a hundred years ; and that they at last die, 

 not of old age, but from the beak turning inward upon the under mandible, 

 and thus preventing their taking any food. They are indeed equally 

 remarkable for their longevity, and for their power of sustaining a long 

 absence from food. One of this species, which was lately nine years in the 

 possession of Mr Owen Holland, of Conway, lived thirty-two years with the 

 gentleman who made him a present of it ; but what its age was when the 

 latter received it from Ireland is unknown. The same bird also furnishes 

 a proof of the truth of the other remarks ; having once, through the neglect 

 of servants, endured hunger for twenty-one days, without any sustenance 

 whatever. But this is still less extraordinary than an instance recorded by 

 Buffon, who was assured, by a person of veracity, that one of these birds 

 being caught in a fox trap, existed for five entire weeks without aliment. 

 It showed no appearance of languor till the last eight days, and it was killed 

 at length in order to deliver it from its sufferings. The eagle seldom drinks, 

 as its principal aliment is raw flesh, which contains in itself a sufficient 



-"<it>r of mnietnrf-. 



4^ 



