“Now is the moment to witness the eagle’s powers. He glides through the air like a falling star, and like a flash of lightning comes upon the timorous quarry, which now, in agony and despair, seeks, by various manœuvres, to elude the grasp of his cruel talons; it mounts, doubles, and willingly would plunge into the stream, were it not prevented by the eagle, which, long possessed of the knowledge that by such a stratagem the swan might escape him, forces it to remain in the air by attempting to strike it with its talons from beneath. “The hope of escape is soon given up by the swan. It has already become much weakened, and its strength fails at the sight of the courage and strength of its antagonist. Its last gasp is about to escape, when the ferocious eagle strikes with his talons the under side of its wing, and, with unresisted power, forces the bird to fall in a slanting direction upon the nearest shore. He presses down his powerful feet, and drives his sharp claws deep into the heart of the dying swan. He then, with his mate, gorges himself with the blood of the luckless victim.” Gallantry in a Dog. The following anecdote, told by Mr. B. S. Johnson, is very curious, as evincing another proof of the sagacity of the dog. “When twelve years old, my dog had attained a greater size and strength than ordinary, and, prior to this period, had shown many indications of astonishing sagacity. He had become exceedingly attached to the female part of my family, and particularly to the children. A little daughter, a child about six years old, attended a school at the distance of quarter of a mile, to which the dog uniformly accompanied her every morning, as well as at noon; and as soon as he had conducted his charge safely into the house, he returned home. “Pursuing this system for a short time, he was soon not content with guarding the child to school, but began to escort her home. Twelve o’clock was the hour at which the children left the school, for the purpose of returning home to dinner; a few minutes before which, Frank,――for that was the name by which the animal was distinguished,――trotted away, with elevated tail, and placing himself in front of the school, waited patiently till the little throng came out, when he eagerly selected his charge, and guarded her home with all the pride imaginable. “At five o’clock in the afternoon, a similar scene took place. It was amusing, indeed it was highly interesting, to witness the performance of these operations, by this sagacious and affectionate creature. I have many times watched it with unspeakable pleasure. About ten minutes before twelve and five o’clock, (how the creature contrived to calculate the time so accurately, I am not able to say,) Frank left my premises, and in a minute or two appeared before the door of the school, where, squat on his haunches, he attentively waited the opening of the door.