A GOLDEN EAGLE TKAPPED. 105 



of a deer, and owing to a long spell of fine weather, 

 he had been so busy stalking that no opportunity had 

 been given him to find time to make his usual visit to 

 the trap after the lapse of a day or two. 



Consent was readily given, and on getting to the 

 spot, there they found a splendid golden eagle. He had 

 not been dead very long, for he was quite warm and 

 lissom when taken out ; he had been caught by the 

 centre claw only, and it seemed wonderful so powerful 

 a bird had not been able to free himself in his struggles ; 

 clearly he had died of exhaustion in his attempts to do 

 so, and not of starvation, for within reach of him, and 

 partly eaten, were two grouse and a blue hare, quite 

 freshly killed, with the blood still uncongealed. These 

 could only have been brought to him by other eagles 

 an almost unique instance, I imagine, of sagacity and 

 affection on the part of his comrades, and one which 

 appealed to the hearts of us all. It was a splendid, 

 full-grown bird, and his melancholy end caused my 

 kind host the greatest sorrow ; for, by the wish of the 

 noble earl from whom the forest was rented, every 

 effort was made to preserve these beautiful birds, so 

 fast becoming extinct a wish in which our host most 

 heartily joined, and took every possible care to see 

 carried out. 



It is very rare for an eagle at that time of year, when 

 there is no difficulty in getting plenty of hares and 

 grouse, to condescend to eat carrion, or anything he has 

 not killed for himself. He was carefully packed up 

 and sent, with a letter of regret and the fullest explan- 

 ation, to the noble owner of the forest, and I can vouch 



