178 INSESSORES. 



good reason for our following its example in idly 

 watching the labors of the poor slave, and then rob- 

 bing him of a part of the fruits of his toil. 



The most noble representatives of this family are 

 the Golden Eagle and the Washington Eagle, both 

 natives of America, and the former of many parts 

 of Europe and Asia. 



The Golden Eagle is a large and powerful bird, 

 noble and majestic in appearance. Its food consists 

 principally of lambs, fawns, rabbits, turkeys, ducks, 

 and other large birds. In capturing its prey it does 

 not manifest the same agility as the Bald Eagle in 

 pursuing and seizing it upon the wing, but it is 

 obliged to descend from a considerable height upon 

 it to insure success. The keenness of its vision, 

 however, enables it to discern at a great distance the 

 objects of its desire, upon which it generally falls 

 with the swiftness of a meteor, and with an unerring 

 and deadly aim. The feathers of this Eagle are 

 much sought after by the Indians of North America, 

 as an ornament of their dress ; and so highly are they 

 prized, that it is said a warrior will often exchange a 

 valuable horse for the tail .feathers of a single bird'.* 



* Eagles being possessed of both strength and courage, 

 will, under some circumstances, especially when pressed by 

 hunger, openly attack the human species ; and numerous 

 well-authenticated accounts are on record of young chil- 

 dren having been carried away and devoured by them. 

 Bishop Heber, in his travels in India, passed through a 

 mountainous district where sad complaints were made of 

 their carrying off infant children ; and some years ago a 

 traveller in the Alps observed suspended from a jutting cxag 



