74 THE FEATHEUEU TRlliES. 



assured mc that such birds were mdeed rare : that they sometimes followed the hunters, 

 to feed on the carcases of the animals they had killed, when the lakes were closed by 

 the ice ; but when open, they would dive in the daytime after fish, and snatch them up 

 in the manner of the fish-hawk ; that they roosted, generally, on the shelves of the rocks, 

 ■where they built their nests, of which he had discovered several by the quantity of white 

 exu\aae scattered below. His account will be found to accord with the observations which 

 I had afterwards an opportunity of making myself. Being convinced that the bird was 

 unkno\vn to naturalists, I felt particularly aruxious to learn its habits, and in what partic- 

 ulars it differed from the rest of its genus. In the United States, from Massachusetts 

 to Louisiana on the searboard, or as high as the mouth of the Missouri to the north-west 

 (I speak only of the extent of country I have visited, and where I have seen them), 

 these birds are very rare. This will appear to all, when I say, that during my many 

 long peregrinations, I never found more than eight or nine, and only one nest. My next 

 meeting with this l)ird was a few years afterwards, whilst engaged in collecting cray-fish, 

 in one of those flats which border and divide Green River, in Kentucky, near its junction 

 with the Ohio, from the range of high cliffs which, for some distance, follow the meanders 

 of that stream. I observed on the rocks, which at that i)lace are nearly perpendicular, 

 a quantity of white ordiu-e ; thinking that owls resorted thither, I mentioned it to my 

 companions, when one of them, who lived within a mile and a half of the place, told me 

 that it was from the nest of the brown eagle, meaning the young of the white-headed 

 eagle, with which he was acquainted. I assured him this could not be, and remarked, 

 that this species never built in such places, but always in trees. Although he could 

 not answer my objection, he stoutly maintained that a brown eagle of some kind, above 

 the usual size, had built there ; he added, that he had espied the nest some days before, 

 and had seen one of the old birds dive and catch a fish. This he thought strange, 

 havin", till then, always oljserved that brown and bald eagles procured this kind of food 

 by robbing the fish-hawks ; but if I felt particularly anxious to know what nest it was, I 

 mif^ht soon satisfy myself, as the old birds Avould come and feed their young with fish ; 

 he had seen them do so before. In high expectation, I seated myself about a hundred 

 yards from the foot of the rock. Never did time pass more slowly ; I could not help 

 betraying the most impatient curiosity, for my hopes whispered it was the great eagle's 

 nest. Two long hours had elapsed before the old bird made his apjiearancc, which was 

 announced to us by the loud hissings of the two young ones, who crawled to tlie extremity 

 of the hole, to receive a fine fish. I had a perfect view of this noble bird, as he held 

 himself to the edging rock, his tail spread, and his wings partly so, and hanging some- 

 tlun" like the bank swallow. I trembled, lest a word should escape from mj companions 



the slightest numnur had been treason from them ; they entered into my feelings, and, 



although little interested, gazed with me. In a few minutes tlie otlicr parent joined her 

 mate, which, from the difference in size (the female being niucli larger), we knew to be 

 the mother-bird. She, also, had brought a fisli ; but, more cautious tiian her mate, ere 

 she ali''hted she glanced her (juick and piercing eye around, and instantly perceived lier 

 procreant bed had been discovered ; she dropped her prey, with a loud shriek conniniui- 

 cated the alann to the male, and hovering with liim over our heads, kept u]) a growling 

 threatening cry, to intimidate us from our suspected design. This watchful solicitude I 

 have ever found pecidiar to the female. The young having hid themselves, we went and 

 picked up the fish which the motlier had let fall ; it was a white jjercli, weigliing about 

 five pounds and a half ; the upper part of the head wa.s broken in, and the back torn 

 bv tho talons of the eagle. We had plainly seen her bearing it in the manner of the 



