Birds and All Nature, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 1899: Illustrated by Color Photography — John Shaqi
Birds and All Nature, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 1899: Illustrated by Color PhotographyVarious
History
Birds and All Nature, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 1899: Illustrated by Color Photography
Various
Birds -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
When the young are old enough to fly the old eagles fly above them as
if to show them how easily it is done. If the young do not try to fly
when the old ones think it time, they are pushed out of the nest as if
to kill them. But the young wings flutter so that the bird does not
fall hard, and the old bird flies under her young one to prevent any
harm.
The eye of this bird is so keen that it can see a small animal much
farther than the animal can see the great bird. When out of sight in
the sky the eagle can see a hare as it comes out of its hole. It comes
down so fast that it sometimes catches the hare before it can get back
to a safe place.
When the sky is clear the eagle flies very high, but on cloudy days he
keeps nearer the ground. He likes to fly over waterfalls because fish
are to be caught as they pass over the falls. At Niagara Falls eagles
are often seen because animals are sometimes carried over the falls by
the rushing water, and the birds can get them easily.
The eagle likes to face the sun and fly towards it as if he thought he
could reach it. For a long time people wondered how he could face the
sun so without being made blind. But we know now that he has a covering
for his eyes that keeps them from all harm from the strong light. If
you watch a chicken you may see it has two eyelids for each eye. So
has the eagle. The eagle has a sort of eyebrow of feathers that may
help protect his eyes from the strong light.
While the eagle is graceful in flying he is not at all so in walking.
Few birds are so awkward on their feet. His great claws are made for
catching his prey rather than for walking. He can tear things with them
and use them in fighting, but he has not much use for them upon the
ground.
When they cannot get the food that suits them best eagles will
sometimes steal farm animals. Lambs, or even full-grown sheep are
easily carried away. They have been known to attack children and carry
them off. But they do not often do this, and they have been known to
carry them a little way and then set them down again as if the load
were too great or they did not wish to eat them.
A story is told of a man who lived a long time ago, and who had but one
child, a little girl. He wished to adopt a poor little baby boy, but
his wife did not wish to take care of the boy. He had the baby carried
to the top of a tree in which was the nest of an eagle. The baby was
placed in the nest so he could not fall, and the man and his wife
walked under the tree. The child cried so that the lady heard him. She
supposed it had been carried there by the bird. Great haste was made to
get the baby down, and the lady was so pleased to think she had saved
the child from being eaten by the birds that she kept the little one as
her own son.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account