Vol i924 IV ' ] GAUKRODGER, The Way of an Eagle. 
11 
in store. And as the big bird moved from one side of the nest 
to the other, by wing-assisted jumps, the whole structure shook. 
It is easy to understand, considering these frequent perform¬ 
ances, and also the landing on the nest with heavy weights of 
food, how those large quantities of loose sticks usually found 
under the old nests are accumulated. The nest material is not 
in any way woven, but is loosely laid, cross-ways, on the firm 
foundation of a heavy fork or crooked limbs of the tree. The 
nest I had under observation was considerably smaller at the 
date of the chicken leaving than three months previously; syn¬ 
chronously, there was a corresponding increase in the quantity of, 
material on the ground below. 
During the very early days of the eaglet’s life, the parent bird 
merely rips the bodies of the food-victims to give easy access 
to the softest parts. After that, the food, be it wallaby, Emu or 
lizard, is just landed on the nest, and the young one does the 
rest. I do not think the old bird actually places food in the 
eaglet’s bill, even at the date of hatching. Incidentally, to listen 
to the tearing noise and to see the rapidity with which a victim 
can be demolished, make one resolve never willingly to fall 
i;» foul of an Eagle’s beak and claws. 
It is another habit of the Eagle that the adult does not approach 
. the nest from above. When food is procured the parent flies 
f ; very low, being only a few feet off the ground when near the 
nest, and it then swoops upwards and very deftly lands on the 
nest. Should any wind be blowing, at all times the bird’s head 
will be towards the brefeze. As the eaglet gains size, strength 
and wing-power, sometimes in its anxiety to meet the parent, it 
will get decidedly in the way and prevent a neat landing. On one 
occasion my young bird was so close to the edge when the 
parent arrived, that the latter neatly lifted itself over the head of 
the youngster and landed in the middle of the nest. Between 
this landing and the youngster’s anxiety to get round to examine 
its breakfast, I thought for a moment that the whole structure 
and contents would fall to the ground. 
As my experience increased, from my hiding-stump 1 could 
always tell when the old birds were approaching; for, besides 
ijie excited and incessant whistling of the youngster, other birds,, 
(such as Magpies, Soldier-birds and Crows) would break out 
with their various threatening calls, and, as it were, act as a 
musical escort almost to the nest. 
It is a much-debated question amongst graziers and others 
as to whether or not it is “the way of an Eagle” to kill lambs. 
I certainly believe they would do so if their natural food became 
scarce, but I have never yet seen an Eagle attacking a live lamb; 
nor have I met a bushman who has actually seen one doing so— 
this notwithstanding enquiries I have made from many very 
observant men. I admit there is damning circumstantial evidence 
in the finding of hewly-killed lambs at the birds’ nests, and 
also in the feeding from carcases by the birds’; but this is not con¬ 
clusive evidence that the birds actually do the killing, there being 
