ORNITHOLOGY 



199 



my greatest surprise was the size of the 

 young birds. They stood eighteen inches 

 high, were fully feathered and were ap- 

 parently as large and able to fly as the 

 adults. 



Their plumage was a dusty brownish 

 black which is said to undergo three 

 changes before they appear at the close 

 of the third year with white heads and 

 tails. They did not resent my intrusion, 

 in fact the picture shows the utter uncon- 

 cern with which they regarded both the 

 camera and myself. 



One picture shows the birds quite close 

 together. This view gives a very good 

 idea of the hawk-like beak, the marvellous 

 eyes, the beautiful plumage and majestic 

 bearing. 



In the next picture the birds were sep- 

 arated with the idea of showing the width 

 and character of the nest and giviug some 

 idea of the commanding view from the 

 tree-top nest. 



To the north and east the view is an 

 Arabian Night's dream of tropical splen • 

 dor. To the south (showing in the pic- 

 ture) are the placid waters of beautiful 

 Dona Bay along whose shores stand giant 

 pines and majestic palms hung with 

 flowering ivy and festooned with Spanish 

 moss. 



To the west is the roar of the open sea. 

 and probably nowhere on the rim of any 

 ocean is to be found such a wealth of land 

 and water birds. It would be hard to 

 conceive of a location better adapted for 

 the home of the Great American eagle. 



A CLOSE VIEW OF THE YOUNG BIRDS. 



We are indebted to Air. Higbee for the 

 first eagles' pictures ever attempted in 

 this locality. At the time he made his 

 perilous climb, with every prospect of 

 being attacked by these powerful birds, 

 It made each particular hair of our heads 

 stand on end until we resembled the fret- 

 ful porcupine. 



Since then a somewhat similar ex- 

 perience has proven to my entire satisfac- 

 tion that any one looking for adventure 

 (who wishes to be thrilled until their 

 nerves twang like harp strings) will find 

 no sport like hunting eagles with a camera. 



THE AERIE OF THE BALD EAGLE. 



