Birdqf'Washi7igton. 11*7 



lish oniithology. Mr. Wilson's figui-e is not so well done ; it 

 seems to be taken from a stuffed specimen. 



My next meeting with this bird was a few years afterwards, 

 whilst engaged in collecting crayfish, in one of those flats 

 which border and divide Green River, in Kentucky, near its 

 junction with the Ohio, from the range of high cliffs which, 

 for some distance, follow the meanders of that stream. I ob- 

 served on the rocks, which, at that place, are nearly perpen- 

 dicular, a quantity of white ordure, thinking that owls resorted 

 thither. I mentioned it to my companions, when one of them, 

 who lived within a mile and a half of the place, told me that 

 it was from the nest of the brown eagle, meaning the young 

 of the white-headed eagle, with which he was acquainted. 

 I assured him this could not be ; and remarked that the old, 

 as well as young, of that species never built in such places, 

 but always in trees. Although he could not answer my ob- 

 jection, he stoutly maintain^ that a brown eagle of some 

 kind, above the usual size, had built there ; he added that 

 he had espied the nest some days before, and had seen one 

 of the old birds dive and catch a fish. This he thought 

 strange, having, till then, always observed that brown and 

 bald eagles procured this kind of food by robbing the fish- 

 hawks : but, if I felt particularly anxious to know what nest 

 it was, I might soon satisfy myself, as the old birds would 

 come and feed their young with fish ; he had seen them do so 

 before. In high expectation, I seated myself about a hundred 

 yards from the foot of the rock. Never did time pass more 

 slowly; I could not help betraying the most impatient curi* 

 osity, for my hopes whispered it was a sea Ragle's nest. Two 

 long hours had elapsed before the old bird made his appear- 

 ance, which was announced to us by the loud hissings of the 

 two young ones, who crawled to the extremity of the hole to 

 receive a fine fish. I had a perfect view of this noble bird as 

 he held himself to the edging rock, his tail spread, and his 

 wings partly so, and hanging something like the barn bank, 

 or social swallow. I trembled lest a word should escape 

 from my companions, the slightest murmur had been treason 

 from them ; they entered into my feelings, and, although little 

 interested, gazed with me. In a few minutes the other parent 

 joined her mate, which, from the difference in size (the female 

 being much larger), we knew to be the mother bird. She, 

 also, had brought a fish ; but, more cautious than her mate, ere 

 she alighted, she glanced her quick and piercing eye around, 

 and instantly perceived her procreant bed had been discovered; 

 she dropped her prey, with a loud shriek communicated the 

 alarm to the male, and, hovering with him over our heads, 



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