FEATHERED FIGHTERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 59, 24 October 1911, Page 8

FEATHERED FIGHTERS.

BIRDS THAT ATTACK HUMAN 13E1NGS. A keeper of Lochaber was taking shelter from a heavy rain storm when an eagle suddenly swooped down, seized his lop; in one talon and attacked his dop with the other. A short time previously this same bird had been chasing a grouse which sought shelter near the keeper. After a. hard tussle the dog killed the eagle, but so tight was the grip oi the claw on the man’s leg that ho had to cut it oil before the muscles relaxed. Then some ycai t - s ago two tourists from Coventry were attacked by eagles not far from Pontresma. Apparently they had approached near the nest, for two great birds flew at them with the utmost viciousness and stunned one of them with its wing. A guide beat" off the second bird and then both flew away. Some time ago a story of another pugnacious eagle came from Melbourne. A gentleman brought one of these birds down with a well-aimed shot, and tied it to the back of his buggy. Before he had got very far it revived and immediately made an attack on its captor, severely .injuring him with its beak and talons. After a struggle the gentleman drove a knife into its neck and killed it. More extraordinary still was the tale of a fight between an eagle and a railway guard, reported two years ago. While the Riviera express was running between Chalons and Fontaines Lecourt the chief guard was nearly killed by an eagle, which was supposed to have entered the van while some luggage was put in at a station. While entering some particulars in his log the guard was unexpectedly attacked and knocked down, and after a. struggle of same fifteen minutes, during which he received some painful wounds, he succeeded in seizing ills assailant by the neck and getting the bettor of it. A sportsman who went out for a day’s shooting in the Pyrenees once /had an unpleasant experience. A vulture was seen and shot, and soon a second made its appearance. This time the aim was not sp good and the bird was only wounded. The gunner then Pent forward to seize and kill it, but the wound was only, a- slight one and the vulture went for its would-be captor beak and claw. Hdwever, ho did not lose Ids head and shot it at close quarters. Our own British birds can put up a good light at times as several people have learnt to their sorrow. One day a fisherman was hauling in his lines in Gruden Bay when ho noticed an unusual strain on one of them. Hardly had he remarked this ere a great commotion took place on the surface of the sea. The next minute a bird darted at him, split open the back of his hand, then made a vicious dart at his face

and struck him just over the oys with its beak. Hastily picking up a boat stretcher the-fisherman managed to break a wing and then dispatch it. It was a great northern diver which had evidently noticed a fish on his line, dived after it, and swallowed both hook and fish. About a year ago a clergyman of Wigan described an attack that had been made upon him by a couple of birds while ho was climbing 111 Bell in the Lake District. At first one bird hovered over him and then finally swooped down and struck at his head. When a second bird of the same species put in an appearance ,the reverend gentleman warded off their blows with his stick and then boat a hasty retreat. Ho said he was told they were a couple of 'great bustards and that other tourists had also been attacked. A correspondent wrote -expressing his disbelief that the birds were bustards, Whereupon another gem’nrcan wrote to say that lie, to, hod la en aitrc.k°d not tar from Scawfell and had been told the birds were bustards or bussards. However, as these birds do not resemble one another' little light was thrown on the matter. Three years ago people who had to traverse a part of Eppiiig Forest by night related terrifying accounts of mysterious assaults by ghostly assailants. For some time no explanation was forthcoming, and then it was discovered that the criminals were a couple of owls bringing up a family ol young ones in a hollow oak by the side of the road. Thinking passers-by had some design on their offspring, the .parent birds (low out at all who came' along.