436 AVES—EAGLE. 
of its attachment; the innate pride, and love of liberty, still prompt it to 
regain its native solitudes; and the moment the falconer sees it, when let 
loose, first stoop towards the sround, and then rise perpendicularly into the 
clouds, he gives up all his former labor for lost; quite sure of never beholding 
his late prisoner more. Sometimes, however, they are brought to have an 
attachment for their feeder ; they are then highly serviceable, and liberally pro- 
vide for his pleasures and support. When the falconer lets them go from 
his hand, they play about and hover round him till their game presents, 
which they see at an immense distance, and pursue with certain destruction. 
They have, however, never been used in European falconry. It is only in 
the east that they have been so employed. 
Of all animals the eagle flies highest, and on this account he was called 
by the ancients the Bird of Jove. When M. Ramond ascended Mont Perdu, 
in the Pyrenees, nearly three miles above the Jevel of the sea, he sawa 
golden eagle far above him, dashing rapidly to windward against a strong 
gale. Of all birds, also, the eagle has the quickest eye; but his sense of 
smelling is far inferior to that of the vulture. He never pursues, therefore, 
but in sight; and when he has seized his prey, he stoops from his height, 
as if to examine its weight, always laying it on the ground before he carries 
it off. As his wing is very powerful, yet, as he has but little suppleness in 
the joints of the leg, he finds it difficult to rise when down ; however, if not 
instantly pursued, he finds no difficulty in carrying off geese and cranes. 
He also carries away hares, lambs, and kids; and often destroys fawns and 
calves, to drink their blood, and carries a part of their flesh to his retreat. 
Infants themselves, when left unattended, have been destroyed by these 
rapacious creatures ; which probably gave rise to the fable of Ganymede’s 
being snatched up by an eagle to heaven. 
An instance is recorded in Scotland of two children being carried off by 
eagles; but fortunately they received no hurt by the way; and, the eagles 
being pursued, the children were restored unhurt out of the nests to the 
affrighted parents. 
The eagle is thus at all times a formidable neighbor; but peculiarly so 
when bringing up its young. Itis then that the female, as well as the male, 
exert all their force and industry to supply their young. Smith, in his 
[listory of Kerry, relates, that a poor man in that country got a comfortable 
subsistence for his family, during a summer of famine, out of an eagle’s 
nest, by robbing the eaglets of food, which were plentifully supplied by the 
ald ones. He protracted their assiduity beyond the usual time, by clipping 
ihe wings, and retarding the flight of the young. 
It happened some time ago, in the same country, that a peasant resolved 
torob the nest of an eagle, that had built in a smail island, in the beautiful 
rake of Killamey. Heaccordingly stripped and swam in upon the island, 
™iuue Lhe Old ones were away; and, robbing the nest of its young, he was 
rfeparing to swim back, with the eaglets tied ina string; but, while be was 
