102 
THE EAGLE. 
about him, and then, again descending, proceeded to tear the 
flesh from the hones, and devour the carcase at leisure. 
But, besides warm-blooded animals and birds, most, if 
not all, the Eagle tribe will readily feed on fish ; some sorts 
indeed, prefer them, and live in the neighbourhood of large 
lakes on the sea- shore. 
Some of these birds are gifted with such extraordinary 
clearness of sight, that from a great height in the air, they 
will distinguish fish swimming near the surface, and, shooting 
down with the speed and straightness of an arrow’s course, 
will plunge into the water, and seize them with their talons. 
Often, however, they have no reason to boast of their 
success, for, when carrying off their prize, a larger Eagle, i 
generally on the look-out, gives chase, and forces them to 
drop the fish, which the other catches before it reaches the 
water. This larger bird, however, is himself sometimes made 
prisoner by the singular mode he practises of providing for 
his meals. The following is not the only instance with which 
we are acquainted, but as it is sanctioned by the authority 
of a respectable Scotch clergyman, we give it at full length, 
in preference to others we have met with. The anecdote 
is told of the Erne, or j 
White-headed Eagle. A 
halibut, a large flat-fish, 
resembling a turbot, re- j 
posing on or near the sur- > 
face of the water, was per- 
ceived by an Erne, which 
immediately pounced down 
and struck his talons into 
the fish with all his force, j 
Should the halibut be too 
strong, the Eagle, it is 
said, is sometimes, but 
rarely, drowned in the j 
struggle. In this case, 
however, as more fre- 
qently happens, he overcame the fish • on which he re-» 
