THE BALD EAGLE. 177 



the Fish Hawk, settling over some devoted victim 

 of the deep. His eye kindles at the sight, and, 

 balancing himself, with half-opened wings, on the 

 branch, he watches the result. Down, rapid as an 

 arrow from Heaven, descends the distant object of 

 his attention, the roar of its wings reaching the ear 

 as it disappears in the deep, making the surges foam 

 around. At this moment the eager looks of the 

 Eagle are all ardor; and, levelling his neck for 

 flight, he sees the Fish Hawk once more emerge, 

 struggling with his prey, and mounting in the air 

 with screams of exultation. These are the signal for 

 our hero, who, launching into the air, instantly gives 

 chase, and soon gains on the Fish Hawk ; each exerts 

 his utmost to mount above the other, displaying in 

 these rencontres the most elegant and sublime aerial 

 evolutions. The unencumbered Eagle rapidly ad- 

 vances, and is just on the point of reaching his op- 

 ponent, when, with a sudden scream, probably of 

 despair and honest execration, the latter drops his 

 fish; the Eagle, poising himself for a moment, as if 

 to take a more certain aim, descends like a whirlwind, 

 snatches it in his grasp ere it reaches the water, and 

 bears his ill-gotten booty silently away to the woods." 

 This cowardly and selfish behavior of the Eagle 

 would seem to unfit him to be the national emblem 

 of a people devoted to freedom, and who glory in the 

 unmolested enjoyment of their rights. Dr. Franklin 

 deeply regretted that it had been chosen as the rep- 

 resentative of our country, but however appropriate 

 or inappropriate the comparison may be ; there is no 



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