THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 169 



be " ample room and verge enough " for him to continue 

 his sweeping flight, or the eagle will prefer not to break 

 his fast ; and will refrain from attempting that by which 

 he may come to grief. Protection is thus afforded 

 many a creature, that would otherwise never be safe 

 from so formidable an enemy. A small bush is sufficient 

 guard against his attack ; for he always takes heed not 

 to approach places where he may get his talons en- 

 tangled and be held fast, or not have sufficient space 

 for the movement of his wings. But for this fear of 

 getting into difficulty, he would feast oftener and fast 

 more rarely than he does. 



It might seem that, with his keenness of vision and 

 speedy locomotion, he need not long be in want of a 

 meal ; that in ranging over an entire principality or a 

 dukedom he surely would be able to find some game or 

 other. And he doubtless does see enough that would 

 suit his purpose well ; but nothing exactly in the situa- 

 tion that makes it advisable for him to attempt to bear 

 it off. There are lambs below in the meadow, but they 

 have instinctively become aware of their impending 

 danger, and have crowded together in one dense mass, 

 with the ewes outside ; or they have all taken shelter 

 beside a sloping bank, or beneath a tree, or alongside 

 of a hedge. None of these positions suit the eagle. 

 In the mountains the chamois do the same, or they 

 stand sideways pressing close against the rock; here 



