7^ RING-TAILED EAGLE. 



tive to the smaller animals, and will even seize on 

 roebucks, &c. 



Mr. Willughby thus describes its nest. " In the 

 year of our Lord 1668, in the woodlands, near the 

 river Derwent in the Peak of Derbyshire, was 

 found an Eagle's nest, made of great sticks, resting 

 one end on the ledge of a rock, and the other on 

 two birch-trees, upon which was a layer of rushes, 

 and over them a layer of heath, and upon the 

 heath rushes again; upon which lay one young 

 one, and an addle egg, and by them a lamb and a 

 hare, and three heath-poults. The nest was about 

 two yards square, and had no hollow in it. The 

 young Eagle was as black as a Hobby, of the 

 shape of a Goshawk, of almost the weight of a 

 Goose, rough-footed, or feathered down to the foot, 

 having a white ring about the tail.'* 



Mr. Willughby's description of the nest reminds 

 us of a curious anecdote given in the life of the 

 celebrated Thuanus or De Thou, viz. that when 

 himself and Monsieur Schomberg were passing 

 through that part of France, on an embassy from 

 Henry the third to the King of Navarre, they were 

 entertained for some days, together with their 

 suite, at Mande, the seat of the Bishop and Count 

 of Gevaudan. At the first repast, it was observed, 

 with some surprise, that all the wild-fowl or game 

 brought to table wanted either a head, a wing, a 

 leg, or some other part, which occasioned their 

 host pleasantly to apologize for the voracity of his 

 caterer, who always took the liberty of first tasting 



