WHITE-HEADED OR BALD EAGLE. 75 



this habitual daring purpose, he is seen perching upon the 

 naked limb of some lofty tree which commands an ex- 

 tensive view of the ocean ; in this attitude of expecta- 

 tion he heedlessly surveys the active employment of the 

 feathered throng, which course along the wavy strand, or 

 explore the watery deep with beating wing, until from 

 afar he attentively scans the motions of his provider, the 

 ample-winged and hovering Osprey. At length, the 

 watery prey is espied, and the feathered fisher descends 

 like a falling rock ; cleaving the wave, he now bears 

 his struggling victim from the deep, and mounting in the 

 air, utters an exulting scream. At this signal, the Eagle 

 pirate gives chase to the fortunate fisher, and soaring 

 above him, by threatening attitudes obliges him to 

 relinquish his prey ; the Eagle now poising for a 

 surer aim, descends like an arrow, and snatching his 

 booty before it arrives at the water, retires to the 

 woods to consume it at leisure. These perpetual depre- 

 dations on the industrious Osprey sometimes arouse him 

 to seek for vengeance, and several occasionally unite to 

 banish their tyrannical invader. When greatly pressed 

 by hunger, the Bald Eagle has sometimes been observed 

 to attack the Vulture in the air, obliging him to disgorge 

 the carrion in his craw, which he snatches up before it 

 reaches the ground. He is sometimes seen also to drive 

 away the Vultures, and feed voraciously on their car- 

 rion. Besides fish, he preys upon Ducks, Geese, Gulls, 

 and other sea-fowl, and when the resources of the ocean 

 diminish, or fail from any cause, particularly on the 

 southern migration of the Osprey, his inland depreda- 

 tions are soon notorious, young lambs, pigs, fawns, and 

 even deer often becomnig his prey. So indiscriminate in- 

 deed is the fierce appetite of this bold bird, that instan- 

 ces are credibly related of their carrying away infants. 



