THE BALD EAGLE, 43 



and, with unresisted power, forces the bird to fall in a slanting direction upon the nearest 

 shore. 



" It is then that you may see the cruel spirit of this dreaded enemy of the feathered race, 

 whilst exulting over his prey, he for the first time breathes at his ease. He presses down his 

 powerful feet, and drives his sharp claws deep into the heart of the dying swan ; he shrieks 

 with delight as he feels the last convulsions of his prey, which has now sunk under his efforts 

 to render death as painful as it possibly can be. The female has watched every movement of 

 her mate, and, if she did not assist him in capturing the swan, it was not from want of will, 

 but merely that she felt full of assurance that the power and courage of her lord were quite 

 sufficient for the deed. She now sails to the spot where he eagerly awaits her, and when she 

 has arrived, they together turn the breast of the luckless swan upwards, and gorge themselves 



with gore." 



* 



The Bald Eagle is found throughout the whole of North America, and may be seen haunt- 

 ing the greater part of the sea-coasts, as well as the mouths of the large rivers. 



Audubon remarks, that "the figure of this noble bird is well-known throughout the 

 world. When it is in full adult feather, it is truly a beautiful as well as a powerful-looking 

 bird. Its white head and tail are not perfected before the age of about ten years. Its brown 

 plumage, seen in young birds, though they are full-grown, has been regarded as that of 

 another species, before observers determined that it was only the plumage of immature 

 birds." 



Wilson, the inimitable pen -painter of birds, thus speaks of this grand bird : " Formed by 

 nature for braving the severest cold, feeding equally on the produce of the sea and of the land, 

 possessing powers of flight capable of outstripping even the tempest, unawed by anything but 

 man, and from the etherial heights to which he soars looking abroad, at one glance, on an im- 

 measurable expanse of forest, fields, lakes, and ocean deep below him he appears indifferent 

 to the little localities of change of seasons, as in a few minutes he can pass from summer to 

 winter, from the lower to the higher regions of the atmosphere. He is, therefore, found at all 

 seasons, in the countries which he inhabits, but prefers such places as have been mentioned 

 above for the great partiality he has for fish. Elevated on the high dead limb of some gigantic 

 tree that commands a wide view of the neighboring shore and ocean, he seems calmly to con- 

 template the motions of the various-feathered tribes that pursue their avocations below. High 

 over all these hovers one whose action instantly arrests his whole attention. By his wide cur- 

 vature of wing and sudden suspension in air, he knows him to be 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 his 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 signals for our hero, who, launching into the air instantly, gives chase, and soon gains 

 on the Hawk. Each exerts his utmost to mount above the other, displaying in their rencontre 

 the most elegant aerial evolutions. The unencumbered Eagle rapidly advances, and is just on 

 the point of reaching his opponent, when, with a sudden scream, 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 to the woods." 



The Bald Eagle is very abundant on the Kennebec River, which the osprey frequents to 

 catch the river fish. 



Audubon described and figured an Eagle, which was so large and commanding, that he 

 called it "the Bird of Washington" (Haliaetus WasMngtoni). No other specimen has been 

 found which answers to the description, excepting the immaturely plumaged females of the 

 Bald Eagle species. It is, therefore, pretty well decided that Audubon' s bird was an un- 

 usually large specimen of a female. The females of all species of the Falcon family are 



