Morning journal and courier., 1885-05-16
Birds Eyes.
[From the Gentleman's Magazine.l


Nature has many surprises for those who
wait on her One of the greatest she ever
favored me with was the sight of wounded
Magellanic eagle-owl shot on the Rio Ne
gro in Patagonia. The haunt of this bird
was an island in the river overgrown with
giant grasses and tall willows; Ieafess now,
for it was in the middle Of Writer. Here 1
sought for and found him waiting on his
perch for the sun to set. He eyed me SO
calmly when aimed my gun scarcely had
the heart to pull the trigger. He had reigned
there so long, the feudal tyrant of that re-
mote wilderness! Many water rat, stealing
like a shadow along the margin between the
deep stream and the giant rushes, he had
snatehed away to death; many a spotted
wild pigeon had woke on its perch at night
with his cruel crooked talons piercing it's
flesh; and beyond the valley on the bushy
uplands many crested tinamou had been
slain on her nest and her beautiful glossy
dark green eggs left to grow pale in the sun
and wind, the little lives that were il. them
dead because of their mothers death. But
I wanted that bird badly and hardened my
heart; the 'sdemoniacal laughter" with which
he had so often answered the rushing sound
of the swift black river at eventide would be
heard no more. I fired; he swerved on his
perch, remained suspended for few mo-
ments, then slowly fluttered down. Behind
the spot where he had fallen was great
mass of tangled dark-green grass, out of
which rose the tall slender boles of the trees;
overhead through the fretwork of 1eadess
twigs the sky was flushed with tender roseate
tints, for the sun had now gone down and the
surface of the earth was in shadow. There,
in such scene, and with the wintry quiet of
the desert over it all, I found my victim
stung by his wounds to fury and prepared
for the last supreme effort. Even in repose
he is big eagle like bird; now his appear
ance was quite altered, and in the dim, un-
certain light he looked gigantic in size-a
monster Of strange form and terrible aspect.
Each particular feather stood out on end, the
tawny barred tail spread out like fan, the
immense, tiger-colored wings wide open and
rigid, SO that as the bird that had clutched
the grass with his great feathered claws
swayed his body from side to side-just as a
snake about to strike sways its head, or as
an angry, watchful cat moves its tail-frst
the tip of one, then of the other wing
touched the ground. The black horns stood
erect, while in the center of the wheel
shaped head the beak snapped incessantIy,
producing a sound resembling the clicking of
a sewing machine This was a suitable set
ting for the pair of magnificent, furious eyes
| on which gazed with a kind of fascination
not unmixed with fear when remembered
| the agony of pain suffered on former oeca-
sions from sharp, crooked talons driven into
| me to the bone. The irides were of bright
orange color but every time attempted TO
| approach the bird they kindled into great
globes of quivering yellow flame, the black
pupils being surrounded by scintilatng
| crimson light which threw out minute yellow
sparks into the air. When retired from the
bird this preternatural fiery aspect would in
stantly vanish.