File:The royal natural history (1893) (14781704131).jpg

Identifier: royalnaturalhist47lyde (find matches)
Title: The royal natural history
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915 Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Frostick, W. B., former owner. DSI Brooks, W. T., former owner. DSI
Subjects: Zoology Natural history
Publisher: London and New York : Frederick Warne & Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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^ seems to prefer it; and it is owing to this unsavoury taste that these birdsare so easily approached and killed. In America the golden eagle preys on marmots,prairie-marmots, wood-rats, squirrels, and smaller rodents, as well as grouse, geese,VOL. IV.—15 226 DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY. ducks, and wading birds; while more rarely it seizes the fawns of the prongbuckand various deer, as well as lambs. A correspondent of Captain Bendirerelates, on native authority, that a golden eagle once struck down and killed a full-o-rown black-tailed deer which had been badly wounded. In devouring their prey.
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IMMATURE GOLDEN EAGLE. these birds usually swallow the smaller mammals, hair and all, although birds aregenerally previously plucked. In Northern Europe the golden eagle begins to breed in March or the earlypart of April, frequently while the ground is still covered with snow, and generallyoccupies the same eyrie for many successive years. The nest is of large size andcomposed of sticks, in the shape of a flattened platform, and lined with roots, drygrass, heather, moss, or fern, but never in the Old World with feathers. In Shetland,where sticks are scarce, the material may be long rope-like seaweed. It appears EAGLES 227 that although in rocky districts the nests are situated on ledges of cliffs or precipices,yet they are by no means always in inaccessible places. As the nest is repairedyear after year, it eventually attains an enormous size if its owners are undisturbed.A correspondent writing to Captain Bendire from Colorado states that he has seena nest over seven feet in height,

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