caught, as well as ptarmigan, ducks and other water fowl, and even the Arctic 

 hare, an animal fully as heavy again as the owls." (Bendire.) 



This great bird nests on the ground, laying from three to ten eggs. 



The Bald EaP^Ie {Hallaeetus lencocephalus lencocephalus) 



By I. N. Mitchell 



Length, 30 inches; extent of wings, 7 feet; ■> 



Range : North America. 



How strong, alert and masterful ! What a feeling of dignity and confidence 

 emanates from his bearing ! Is it strange that our fathers regarded him as a fitting 

 emblem of courage, strength, self trust and independence? 



This "Lord of the air" perching over the folds of "Old Glory" in our illustra- 

 tion, will undoubtedly recall to our readers Old Abe, the famous War Eagle of 

 Wisconsin. 



Through the ages the eagle has been a favorite national emblem. The old 

 Romans placed him upon their standard and even carried the living bird into 

 battle. In the fall of 1861, in emulation, perhaps, of the old Roman warriors. 

 Company C of the Eighth Wisconsin Volunteers started to the front bearing 

 a young eagle on a standard close to the colors of the regiment. The bird at 

 that time was a little less than a year old and quite different in appearance from 

 his likeness in our illustration. Then his feathers were all a dark brownish black; 

 but, like the soldiers with whom he was marching, he had volunteered for three 

 years. This gave him time to come into full plumage while at the front. 



In the fourth year of his age his head and tail became white and there was 

 no doubt then that he was a real bald or white-headed eagle. 



When he was first purchased from some Indians for a bushel of corn by 

 the late Mrs. McCann of Chippewa Falls, she decleared that he was only a young 

 crow. The Southerners made fun of him by calling him crow and buzzard. 



But Old Abe justified not only his name but his character as a war eagle. 

 He was with the "Eagle Regiment" in camp, on the march and in battle for 

 nearly four years. He was in thirty-six of the thirty-eight battles and skirmishes 

 in which the regiment participated. He became very much attached to the men 

 and the men to him. He was no coward, but went into battle with defiant screams 

 and beating wings. His influence, in increasing the courage of the men was so 

 great that he became a special mark for the enemy. Although his feathers were 

 cut by bullets on two or three occasions, he came out of the war with only a 

 slight wound on one of his wings. 



Wisconsin is certainly fortunate in having in her history an eagle of such 

 unusually strong character. Perhaps this strong personality of "Old Abe" was 

 partly due to his constant association with the men in camp and battle. Perhaps 



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