1878. ] The Home of the Harpy-Eagle. ey 55 
first act of an oft-repeated tragedy, and gives the alarm signal by 
a coughing scream, followed by the yells and confused chattering 
of the entire party. They huddle together like a flock of fright- 
ened sheep, the mothers especially endeavoring to push their 
babies into the centre of the crowd ; but in the midst of the prep- 
arations the screech of some outpost gives the signal for a general 
Sauve-gui-peut—the murderer is upon them, has grabbed some un- 
lucky youngster between neck and skull and flies away, with the 
switching tail of the captive depending from between his claws, 
while the pitiful piping of the bereaved relatives mingles with the 
grunts of execration of the old patriarchs. The whole assembly 
then repairs to the upper branches for a chattering indignation 
meeting. 
A struggling monkey generally throws its hands up, and by 
thus losing its hold upon the branches, gives the enemy a fatal 
advantage; but the large bluish-gray squirrel of the Mexican 
woods (Sciurus gigas), if pounced upon so unawares that it has 
no time to regain its hole, either throws itself headlong to the 
ground or jumps toward a stout bough, takes hold with its four 
legs and four teeth at once and never loosens its grip while a 
spark of vitality remains in its claws or jaws. The harpy then 
either devours his prey čz situ, by tearing piece after piece from 
the quick body, or relaxes its hold and takes wing for a moment, 
which often betrays the squirrel into the imprudence of letting go 
-~ and taking a flying jump into space, in the hope of reaching the 
ground, where it would easily escape in the thick underbrush. 
Anticipating this, the eagle has perched upon a lower branch, 
with his wings half open, and intercepts the salto mortale by 
catching the jumper in mid-air. 
: During the sultry hours of the early afternoon the harpy-eagle 
participates in the general siesta, and may often be seen perched 
upon a lower branch of the caucho or some other dense shade- 
tree, alone or in company of his mate and the eaglets of the last 
brood. Swaying from side to side and crooning to himself in a 
‘Sort of snoring or murmuring purr, he sits thus for hours, enjoy- 
ing the sweets of digestion, till the lengthening shades and the 
reawakening voices of the forest summon him to supper or to one 
of those aerial excursions in which a pair of breeding harpies 
_ Joins toward sunset as often as in the early morning hours. 
a The Incas and Anten noblemen trained harpy-eagles He = 
