DEVELOPEMENT. 
73 
single one of her children is prepared for life. I cannot 
refrain from giving some information on the subject of 
the further developement of the young bird, in which I 
shall be chiefly aided by the observations of my father. 
Precisely those birds which, on reaching maturity, are 
endowed with the greatest strength, motion, and self- 
dependence, are those which show in their youth scarce a 
trace of these very gifts. The Royal Eagle at its birth, 
that is to say at the moment when it first sees the light, 
is the most helpless creature under the sun, sharing, we 
may observe, a similar fate with the lord of creation! 
Indeed, it first escapes from the shell covered with a 
rather close dress of white down; this is soon thoroughly 
dried by the warmth of the mother’s breast: it cannot, 
however, even stand upright, and must for many a long 
day cower for shelter, from the storms of the outer world, 
under the mother’s caressing pinions. Flesh, the only 
nourishment beneficial, in its case would be quite useless 
for the purpose, if the mother did not raise it from her 
crop in a half-digested state. It is only after commencing 
to grow that the young bird and its brothers and sisters 
require more food than their father can procure; the 
mother, also, must recommence her raids, and thus leave 
her children alone in the eyrie. The hatching of the noble 
brood takes place in the early season of the year: very 
stormy weather is then prevalent, when the loving queen 
finds it necessary to leave her hopeful youngsters for the 
purpose of seeking food. The eyrie is not in the least 
calculated to render the warmth of the mother’s breast 
dispensable : it is cold and draughty, in comparison with 
the warmly and carefully-built nests of other birds. 
Cold, snow, wind and rain,—unwelcome guests,—force 
their companionship upon the callow brood cowering in 
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