. Cassell's natural history . ge wings seem with difficidty tosupport the weight of her body, although they flap incessantly. So irksome do herexertions seem, that her very legs are spread beneath her taU to aid her flight. Sheapproaches, however. The eagle has marked her for his prey. As the swan is passingthe dreaded pair, the male bird starts from his perch, in full preparation for the chase,with an awful scream that to the swans ear brings more terror than the report of thelarge duck-gun. Now is the moment to witness the eagles powers. He ghdes throughthe air hke a falling star, and hke a
. Cassell's natural history . ge wings seem with difficidty tosupport the weight of her body, although they flap incessantly. So irksome do herexertions seem, that her very legs are spread beneath her taU to aid her flight. Sheapproaches, however. The eagle has marked her for his prey. As the swan is passingthe dreaded pair, the male bird starts from his perch, in full preparation for the chase,with an awful scream that to the swans ear brings more terror than the report of thelarge duck-gun. Now is the moment to witness the eagles powers. He ghdes throughthe air hke a falling star, and hke a flash of hghtning, comes upon the timorous quarry,which now, in agony and despair, seeks by various mancEuvres, to elude the grasp of hiscruel talons ; it mounts, doubles, and willingly would plunge into the stream, were it notprevented by the eagle, which, long possessed of the knowledge that by such a strata|gemthe swan might escape him, forces it to remain in the air, by attempting to strike it withhis talons from THE CAPTURED SWAN. The hope of escape is soon given up by the swan. It has aheady become muchweakened, and its strength fails at the sight of the courage and swiftness of its antago-nist. Its last gasp is about to escape when the ferocious eagle strikes with his talons theunder side of its wing, and, with unresisted power, forces the bird to fall in a slantingdirection upon the nearest shore. It is then, reader, that you may see the cruel spiritof this dreaded enemy of the feathered race, wliilst, exultmg over his prey, lie, for tlu-first time, breathes at case. He presses down his powerful feet, and drives his sharp daws deeper tlian ever intotlie heart of tlie dying swan. He shrieks with delight as he feels the last convVilsidns ofhis prey, which has now sunk under his unceasing efforts to render death as painfullyfelt as it can possibly be. Jhe female has watched every movement of her mate, andif she did not assist him in capturing the swan, it was not
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1854
