290 
WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 
curiosity, for my hopes whispered it was a Sea Eagle's nest. 
Two long hours elapsed before the old bird made his appear- 
ance, which was announced to us by the loud hissings of the 
two young ones, which crawled to the extremity of the hole 
to receive a fine fish. I had a perfect view of this noble 
bird as he held himself to the edging rock, hanging like the 
barn bank, or social swallow, his tail spread, and his wings 
partly so. I trembled lest a word should escape my com- 
panions. The slightest murmur had been treason from them. 
They entered into my feelings, and, though little interested, 
gazed with me. In a few minutes the other parent joined 
her mate ; and, from the difference in size (the female of 
rapacious birds being much larger), we knew this to be the 
mother bird. She also brought a fish ; but more cautious 
than her mate, she glanced her quick and piercing eye 
around, and instantly perceived that her abode had been dis- 
covered. She dropped her prey, with a loud shriek com- 
municated the alarm to the male, and, hovering with him 
over our heads, kept up a growling cry, to intimidate us 
from our suspected design. This watchful solicitude I have 
ever found peculiar to the female — must I be understood to 
speak only of birds ? 
" The young having concealed themselves, we went and 
picked up the fish which the mother had let fall. It was a 
white perch, weighing about five and a half pounds. The 
upper part of the head was broken in, and the back torn by 
the talons of the eagle. We had plainly seen her bearing it 
in the manner of the fish-hawk. 
" This day's sport being at an end, we journeyed home- 
ward, we agreed to return the next morning, with the view 
of obtaiiJf5ig both the old and young birds ; but rainy and 
tempestuous weather setting in, it became necessary to defer 
the expedition till the third day following, when, with guns 
and men all in readiness, we reached the rock. Some post- 
ed themselves at the foot, others upon it, but in vain. We 
passed the entire day without either seeing or hearing an 
