164 FOREST CREATURES. 



The distance to which his vision penetrates, even 

 while a fledgeling, is quite wonderful. A marvellous 

 instinct seems to announce to the young bird the ap- 

 proach of the parent while as yet far off. A young 

 eagle that had been obtained possession of was tethered 

 to the rock on the summit of a mountain ; and from a 

 lurking-place built of loose stones, the jager hoped to 

 get a shot at the parents when they should discover 

 where their young one was, and bring him food. Long 

 before he perceived anything, the eaglet uttered cries 

 of welcoming, having already recognised its parent 

 wheeling like a circling point on high, or from the 

 horizon making its way towards the spot. And he who 

 accomplished the bold feat related further on, told me 

 that, while waiting for the old birds at a short distance 

 from the ejrrie, the screaming and fluttering of the 

 eaglet always warned him that the old birds were 

 coming ; though when he looked he was unable to 

 perceive them, so far off were they still ; yet invariably, 

 after further search, he saw them wheeling aloft, and in 

 due time they descended to the nest. 



To an eagle a young child would be a very slight in- 

 cumbrance in his flight ; and accordingly we find that 

 he is as ready to carry one away to feed his young, as he 

 is to pounce upon a kid or a leveret. His swoop is not 

 less precipitant than his eye is keen. It is sufficient for 

 him to observe the babe unguarded for a moment, when 



