William Thompson

“ On another occasion, a golden eagle was found in the bath, or large trough in which the eagles delight to roll ; it was supposed by the keeper to have been forced under water by one of the sea eagles, but more probably it got cramped, as the birds seem often to carry their bathing to excess. It is a remarkable fact, that a sea eagle but one year old, seemed to be generally acknowledged as the superior of the whole. This bird seized the first piece of food thrown into the cage as its acknowledged right ”

“ This bird at once became attached to its owner, and after being about a month in his possession, was given full liberty, — a high privilege to a golden eagle having the use of its wings, — but which was not abused, as it came to the lure whenever called. It evidently derived much pleasure from the application of the hand to its legs and plumage,, and permitted itself to be handled in any way. ”

“ We were assured, that two eagles will occasionally pursue a hare, one flying low and coursing it along the ground, the other keeping perpendicularly above the terrified animal, and occasionally changing their places, until the hare is completely wearied out. The same circumstance was mentioned a few days afterwards at Tralee, and again at Monasterevan : my informant in every instance stated the fact, not as a matter of hearsay, but as one which had fallen under his own knowledge." Footnote 7 The golden eagle has now become very scarce in Kerry. ”

“ The black eagle fixes his talons between the deer's horns, and beats its wings constantly about its eyes, which puts the deer to run continually, till it falls into a ditch, or over a precipice, where it dies, and so becomes a prey to this cunning hunter. ”

“ Footnote 6 Flaherty, in his West or H-Iar Connanght, written in 1684, and published by the Irish Archaeological Society in 1846, remarks at p. 12: — "Here is a kind of black eagle, which kills the deere by grappling him with his claw, and forcing him to run headlong into precipices." The golden eagle being a bold bird, as well as darker coloured than the sea eagle, is, I presume, meant. ”

“ Selby's birds, remarks, that in the menageries of the Garden of the Zoological Society of London, where there are two golden and four white-tailed eagles, the keepers find the former the more tractable of the two species. Footnote 11 At Aberarder, in this county, I saw a golden eagle displayed among the numerous "winged vermin" on the gable end of the shooting lodge, in September, 1842. Footnote 12 Birds up to the size of sparrows are eaten whole by the golden eagle ; three s parrows have been taken in succession without a feather being plucked off. ”

“ When visiting about the same time the precipitous mountain of Rosheen, near Dunfanaghy, in that county, I was told that for a long time previous to the preceding twelve years, a pair of eagles had built their eyrie in one of the inaccessible cliffs.The situation selected for this eyrie indicates that the species was most probably the golden eagle. ”

“ Great eagle-cage in the Zoological Gardens, Phoenix Park, Dublin.
More eagles of different species being brought together here than perhaps in any other place, Mr. E. Ball, the Honorary Secretary, Mr. ”