THE SAVAGE WORLD. 
435 
and rapacity, qualities for which our hero is so generally notorious, and which, 
in his superior, man, are equally detestable. As for the feelings of the poor 
fish, they seem altogether out of the question.” 
There is a well authenticated story of an eagle of this species having 
descended upon a moun¬ 
taineer’s home on the 
Alps and carrying away 
a girl six years of age 
in its cruel talons. This 
event is said to have oc¬ 
curred in 1838, and that 
though a rescuing party 
went promptly to the aid 
of the victim she was not 
recovered until life had 
become extinct from 
wounds received in her 
breast. Some time in the 
year 1886 a similar inci¬ 
dent occurred in Minne¬ 
sota, where a child of 
four years was carried 
away by an eagle, but in 
this case the little one 
was rescued before it re¬ 
ceived fatal injuries. 
Many stories of a like 
character, illustrative of 
the eagle’s power and 
courage, are related, es¬ 
pecially of the bald eagle 
of the Alps. A few years 
ago we read an account of 
one of these monster birds 
having swooped down 
upon a shepherd’s house 
and seized upon a boy 
nearly twelve years of 
age who was playing in 
the yard before his door. 
In this case the eagle 
was unable to rise with 
so great a weight but re¬ 
fused to quit its hold until 
the child’s screams eagi.es of Switzerland. 
brought his fatherto the 
rescue, who succeeded in killing the eagle with a club that was fortunately at hand. 
The Golden Eagle (.Aquila chryscetos ) is a true cosmopolitan, and has his 
habitat everywhere. Unlike the vultures, it prefers living prey to a carcase, 
