Chap. 5.] 
EAGLES. 
485 
young. The ossifrage, however, a kindred species, takes charge 
of the young ones thus rejected, and rears them with its own ; 
but the parent bird still pursues them with hostility, even 
when grown up, and drives them away, as being its rivals in 
rapine. And indeed, under any circumstances, one pair of 
eagles requires a very considerable space of ground to forage 
over, in order to find sufficient sustenance ; for which reason 
it is that they mark out by boundaries their respective allot- 
ments, and seek their prey in succession to one another. They 
do not immediately carry off their prey, but first deposit it on 
the ground, and it is only after they have tested its weight 
that they fly away with it. 
They die, not of old age, nor yet of sickness, or of hunger ; 
but the upper part of the beak grows to such an extent, and 
becomes so curved, that they are unable to open it. They 
take the wing, and begin upon the labours of the chase at 
mid-day ; sitting in idleness during the hours of the morning, 
until such time as the places of public resort are filled with 
people. The feathers of the eagle, if mixed with those of 
other birds, will consume them.^^ It is said that this is the 
only bird that has never been killed by lightning ; hence it is, 
that usage has pronounced it to be the armour-bearer of Jove. 
CHAP. 5. (4.) — WHEN- THE EAGLE WAS FIRST USED AS THE 
STANDARD OF THE ROMAN LEGIONS. 
Caius Marius, in his second consulship, assigned the eagle 
exclusively to the Eoman legions. Eefore that period it had 
only held the first rank, there being four others as well, the 
wolf, the minotaur, the horse, and the wild boar, each of which 
preceded a single division.^^ Some few years before his time 
it had begun to be the custom to carry the eagle only into 
battle, the other standards being left behind in camp ; Marius, 
however, abolished the rest of them entirely. Since then, it 
has been remarked that hardly ever has a Roman legion 
encamped for the winter, without a pair of eagles making 
their appearance at the spot. 
The first and second species of eagle, not only prey upon 
30 Fora. 
31 Albertus Magnus says that he knows this by actual experience : credat 
Juda3us." 
32 Ordinem. 
1 
