EAGLES TEACHING THEIR YOUNG.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue VII, 20 November 1889, Page 2

EAGLES TEACHING THEIR YOUNG.

A dhort time ago (says a correspondent of lha "Fiold") Me G. Barrow, of the Geological Survey of Scotland, who lo surveying the dietrlot of Ayltl>, N.B , saw, wh.*n In the highest point of my deer forest (G'ena&lly). two goldon eagles flylDg towards him, and on thelt approaching j noavec he peroelved that ono of them trae'i OArtylag what appeared to ba a ball In ita tttlloua. When they oarpe to a large soft pleou of ground, whoa tjcemad to salt, thole pcrpoao, one bird remained flying round and round close to tho ground, while (he other, currying the ball mounted to a considerable height, when m let it drop ; but after it (the ball) had fallen a littla way, the bird swooped down and caught lt, and took it up again, and ogftin dropped It, and again oaught it. This occurred three or foua times, till at leogth, on being dropped, the b»ll oponod its wings, and Mr Barrow per* cetved It was a yonng eajjle, whioh bad steadied itaelf In Its fall. The parent hied, who had dropped it, did not attempt to catch it this time, bat allowed It to lower itself, aud tho other parent bird caught it with lo talons before it quite ranched the ground. These tactics having bscn accomplished to their satisfaction, the oid birds carried their offspring back (;o their neat m the next forest to mine (Oaenloohan). Surely the above shows the great natural Instinct In wild animale —i.e., the parent birds teaching their young one to fly, (n case lt might fall oat of its nest, whioh was high op m the cocks, with a fall of 200 .'t on to the rooks balow, lt U generally supposed that eagles only strike their qaarry on the ground, but Mr Barrow noc long ago saw ono of tbe eagles above referred to strike a ptarmigan when about 30ft m the air, d*>sa it to the ground, and then kill it (the bird Eoreamed when on the ground), | pick it up, and fly off with it. '