THE WASHINGTON EAGLE. 73 



pnrsnev tlien rises in tlie air, ami is met liy its mate, which glides towards tlie water-liird 

 that has just emerged to breathe, and forces it to plunge again lieneath the surface, to 

 escape tlie talons of this second assailant. The first eagle is now poising itself in the 

 place wliere its mate formerly was, and rushes anew to force the quarry to make another 

 plunge. By thus alternately gliding, in rapid and oft-repeated rushes, over the ill-fated 

 bii-d, they soon fatigue it, when it stretches out its neck, swims deeply, and makes for 

 the shore, in the hope of concealing itself among the rank weeds. But this is of no 

 avail ; for the eagles foUow it in all its motions, and the moment it approaches the 

 margin, one of them darts upon it." 



The flight of the white-headed eagle, when taken into consideration with the ardour 

 and energy of lus character, is noble and interesting. Sometimes the human eye can 

 just discern him, like a minute speck, moving in slow cui'vatures along the face of the 

 earth. At others, he glides along in a direct horizontal hne, at a vast height, with 

 expanded and unnioving wings, till he gradually disappears m the distant blue ether. 



THE WASHINGTON EAGLE.* 



The Washington Eagle seems to nestle in the holes as well as the shelves of rocks. M. 

 Audubon has given a very animated and interesting narrative of his discovery of this 

 magnificent eagle, with a portion of which we shall em-ich our pages. 



" It was on a winter's evening," says he, " in the month of February, 1814, that, for 

 the first time in my hfe, I had an opportunity of seeing this rare and noble bird, and 

 never shall I forget the delight it gave me. Not even Herschel, when he discovered the 

 famous planet which bears his name, could have experienced more happy feelings ; for 

 to have something new to relate, to liecome youi'self a contributor to science, must excite 

 the proudest emotions of the human heart. We were on a trading voyage, ascending the 

 Upper Mississippi, the keen winter blasts wliistled over our heads, and the cold, from 

 wliich I suffered, had, in a great degree, extinguished the deep interest which, at other 

 seasons, this river has been wont to awake in me. I lay stretched beside our patroon, 

 the safety of the cargo was forgotten, and the only thing that called forth my attention 

 was the multitude of ducks, of different species, accompanied by vast flocks of swans, 

 which, from time to time, would pass on. My patroon, a Canadian, had been engaged 

 many years in the fur-trade ; he was a man of much intelhgence, who, perceinng that 

 these birds had engaged my curiosity, seemed only anxious to find some new object to 

 divert me. The eagle flew over us. ' How fortunate ! ' he exclaimed ; ' this is what I 

 could have wished. Look, sir ! the great eagle ; and the only one I have seen since 

 I left the lakes.' I was instantly on my feet, and having observed it attentively, con- 

 cluded, as I lost it in the distance, that it was a species quite new to me. My patroon 



* Faleo Washingtoniensis. And. 



