36 BIRDS IN LEGEND 



cause the golden is in habits and appearance far the nobler 

 of the two, and, second, because of the supreme regard 

 in which it was held by all the North American aborigi- 

 nes, who paid no respect whatever to the bald eagle. On 

 the other hand, the white head and neck of our accepted 

 species gives a distinctive mark to our coat of arms. 

 The history of the adoption of this symbol of the United 

 States of America is worth a paragraph. 



On July 4, 1776, on the afternoon following the morn- 

 ing hours in which the Congress in Philadelphia had 

 performed the momentous duty of proclaiming the inde- 

 pendence of the United States, it dropped down to the 

 consideration of its cockade, and appointed a committee 

 to prepare a device for a Great Seal and coat-of-arms 

 for the new republic. 26 Desiring to avoid European 

 models, yet clinging to the traditions of art in these 

 matters, the committee devised and offered in succession 

 several complicated allegorical designs that were promptly 

 and wisely rejected by the Congress. Finally, in 1782, the 

 matter was left in the hands of Charles Thomson, Secre- 

 tary of the Congress, and he at once consulted with 

 William Barton of Philadelphia. They abandoned 

 allegory and designed an eagle "displayed proper," that 

 is, with a shield on its breast. Mr. Barton, who was 

 learned in heraldry, explained that "the escutcheon being 

 placed on the breast of the eagle displayed is a very 

 ancient mode of bearing, and is truly imperial." To 

 avoid an "imperial" effect, however, a concession was 

 made to local prejudice by indicating plainly that the bird 

 itself was the American bald eagle — unless, indeed, that 

 happened to be the only one Barton knew ! 



This design was finally adopted in 1782. Since then 

 the Great Seal has been re-cut several times, so that the 



