94 
THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 
of Auvergne, in France, near a great waterfall which, dashed 
downwards with a thundering noise, in the midst of the loud 
roar of waters, a short, shrill cry met our ear, coming, as it 
were, from the clouds. On looking in the direction from 
whence it came, we soon perceived a small dark speck moving 
steadily on towards us. It was a Golden Eagle, evidently 
coming from the plain countries below ; on drawing nearer, 
we could see that his wings scarcely ever moved ; he seemed 
to float or sail in mid-air, rather than fly ; though now and 
then, indeed, they slowly flapped, as if to steady him. As 
he was approaching in a direct line, we hid ourselves behind 
a rock, and watched his motions through a telescope. When 
first seen he could not have been at a less distance than 
a mile, but in less than a minute he was within gun-shot ; 
and after looking round once or twice, he darted down his 
legs, slightly quivered, and alighted on a rock within a few 
yards. For a moment he gazed about with his sharp bright - 
eyes, as if to assure himself that all was safe ; he then, for a 
few moments more, nestled his head beneath one of his ex- 
panded wings, and appeared to plume himself. Having done 
this, he stretched out his neck, and looked keenly and wist- 
fully towards the quarter of the heavens from whence he 
came, and uttered a few rapid screams ; then stamping with 
his feet, we saw him protrude his long-hooked talons, at the 
same time snapping his hooked beak with a sharp jerking 
noise, like the crack of a whip. There he remained for 
about ten minutes, manifesting great restlessness, not a single 
instant quiet; when suddenly he seemed to hear or see some- 
thing, and immediately rising from the rock on which he 
stood, launched himself into the air, and floated away as be- 
fore, uttering the same shrill cry ; and looking round, we 
beheld the cause of his emotion ; he had seen his mate 
approaching. He rose to meet her, and after soaring in 
a circle a few times, they went away, and were soon invisible 
to the naked eye. 
This was the large Golden Eagle, a species occasion- 
ally found in England and Scotland, but more frequently in 
