WHITE-HEADED OR BALD EAGLE. 73 



two* instances are known of their appearance in the 

 centre of Europe, in the United States, they are most 

 abundant in the milder latitudes, residing, breeding, and 

 rearing their young in all the intermediate space from 

 Nova Scotia or Labrador to the shores of the Gulf of 

 Mexico. The rocky coast of this part of New England 

 (Massachusetts), is however, seldom tenanted by this 

 species though they are occasionally seen in the spring, 

 and about the commencement of winter. In the United 

 States it is certain that they show a decided predilection 

 for the milder climates. It is probable, that in Europe 

 they are deterred in their migrations by the tyrannical 

 persecution of the White-tailed Eagle (F. alhicilla) 

 which abounds in that country, living also principally 

 on fish and therefore selecting the same maritime situa- 

 tions as our Eagle. In the United States, he sways 

 almost without control the whole coast of the Atlantic, 

 and has rendered the rival Osprey his humble tributary, 

 proscribing, in his turn, the appearance of the Sea Eagle, 

 which, if it exist at all with us, is equally as rare as the 

 present species appears to be in Europe, 



Though on Behring's Isle the Bald Eagle is said to 

 nest on cliffs, as the only secure situation that probably 

 offers, in the United States, he usually selects, near the 

 sea-coast, some lofty pine or cypress tree for his eyry ; 

 this is built of large sticks, several feet in length, form- 

 ing a floor, within and over which are laid sods of earth, 

 hay, moss, dry reeds, sedge-grass, pine tops, and other 

 coarse materials, piled to the height of 5 or 6 feet, and 

 4 or 5 feet in breadth. On this almost level bed the fe- 

 male early in February deposits 2 eggs, one of which is 

 said to be laid after an interval so considerable that the 



* One of these, an old male, was killed in the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland j 

 the other, a very old female, in the kingdom of Wurtemburg. 

 7 



