BIRDS’ —-NESTS 123 
so seldom is the eagle seen that its presence always 
seems accidental. It appears as if merely paus- 
ing on the way, while bound for some distant 
unknown region. One September, while a youth, 
I saw the ring-tailed eagle, the young of the golden 
eagle, an immense, dusky bird, the sight of which 
filled me with awe. It lingered about the hills 
for two days. Some young cattle, a two-year-old 
colt, and half a dozen sheep were at pasture on a 
high ridge that led up to the mountain, and in 
plain view of the house. On the second day this 
dusky monarch was seen flying about above them. 
Presently he began to hover over them, after the 
manner of a hawk watching for mice. He then 
with extended legs let himself slowly down upon 
them, actually grappling the backs of the young 
cattle, and frightening the creatures so that they 
rushed about the field in great consternation; and 
finally, as he grew bolder and more frequent in his 
descents, the whole herd broke over the fence and 
came tearing down to the house “like mad.” It 
did not seem to be an assault with intent to kill, but 
was perhaps a stratagem resorted to in order to sep- 
arate the herd and expose the lambs, which hugged 
the cattle very closely. When he occasionally 
alighted upon the oaks that stood near, the branch 
could be seen to sway and bend beneath him. 
Finally, as a rifleman started out in pursuit of him, 
he launched into the air, set his wings, and sailed 
away southward. A few years afterward, in Jan- 
uary, another eagle passed through the same local- 
