Page:Monthly scrap book, for March.pdf/3



THE

MONTHLY SCRAP BOOK.

T H E E A G L E.

In summer, 1828, the writer of the following pages traversed the greater part of Galloway, visiting in his course every hill and loch whose locality is at all celebrated in the district. During this excursion he met and conversed with many shepherds, and was careful to gather from them every thing they knew concerning the eagle. Among the hills al- most every shepherd is familiar with the appear- ance of these birds, and though their statements vary in some points, they all agree in this, that "every year they are getting scarcer and scarcer." So far from complaining of their depredations, several store-farmers assured me that the eagles never touch a lamb or sheep until life has become extinct from natural causes. Every season there is more or less mortality in the flocks, and the ea- gle's sense of smell is so remarkably acute that he scents carrion at some miles' distant. When their numbers were greater and provisions scarce, ne- cessity, no doubt, must have compelled them to carry off living lambs, and I have often heard Major Miller mention a case which occurred when he was residing at Braemar Lodge, in which an eagle lighted among a herd of deer, fixed its ta-