of small mammals unless it should 

 be cluriufr winter Avhen numbers of 

 these birds may congre^rate in areas 

 where jackrabbits are abundant. 



9. Only in Alaska is the bald 

 eagle abundant enough to consti- 

 tute a significant hazard to domestic 

 livestock, and even there its most 

 important relation is with the semi- 

 domesticated blue fox. No remains 

 of foxes were found in any of the 

 435 stomachs collected in that Ter- 

 ritory, yet testimony of the eagle's 

 predation on these furbearers was 

 frequently encountered. In recent 

 years, this problem has been materi- 

 ally alleviated, not only by a great 

 reduction in the blue-fox industry 

 by reason of a lessened market, but 

 by the more progressive raisers con- 

 fining their animals under screens. 

 Within the United States, the bald 

 eagle has occasionally preyed on 

 domestic poultry, but here again the 

 small number it takes makes the 

 total effect insignificant. 



10. The carrion- feeding habits of 

 the bald eagle may be construed as 

 neutral in their total economic ef- 

 fect. About one-eighth of the 

 bird's annual food (based on the 

 examination of 435 Alaskan bald 

 eagle stomachs) was interpreted to 

 be of that character. There is much 

 uncertainty connected with this in- 

 terpretation and, were all the facts 

 available, this portion of the bald 

 eagles' food might be appreciably 

 greater. By far the larger portion 

 of the carrion eaten stems from the 

 dead fish which the eagle finds on 

 the beach. 



In summarizing briefly tlie eco- 

 nomic status of the bald eagle, it 

 will be well to recall the words of 



an eminent ornithologist expressed 

 more than 40 years ago regarding 

 the bird's status in Michigan (Bar- 

 rows 1912, p. 288) : 



AUhough it frequently captures worthy 

 prey, in open fight or by direct attack, 

 it often robs the Fish Hawlv, coniiielling 

 it to relinquish the fish which it has just 

 captured. When nothing better offers it 

 feeds freely upon decomposing fish 

 washed vip along the shore, or upon car- 

 rion, in company with the Crow and the 

 Raven. True, it kills many rabbits, 

 grouse, ducks and waterfowl of various 

 kinds, and even stoops to squirrels, mice 

 and snakes ; but on the whole it confers 

 no decided benefits on the agriculturist, 

 although on. the other hand, it is not 

 commonly injurious. On rare occasions 

 it picks up a hen, usually at a distance 

 from the house, and in early spring it has 

 been known to destroy young lambs, but 

 these are not common offenses. 



This is still essentially true in the 

 United States, the principal difler- 

 ence being that, because of de- 

 creased numbers, the influence of 

 the bald eagle for either good or 

 harm is significantly less now than 

 formerly. 



In Alaska, an area of much 

 greater eagle abundance, the influ- 

 ence of the bald eagle is correspond- 

 ingly greater. It is one of a great 

 number of factors that affect the 

 abundance and welfare of the salm- 

 on; it also exerts pressure (more so 

 formerly than now) on the domestic 

 blue-fox industry. With present 

 regulations permitting control of 

 individual birds causing damage to 

 domestic stock or Avildlife, reason- 

 able provision for pro])erty protec- 

 tion and rational management are 

 provided. Under prevailing condi- 

 tions, there is no need for any gen- 

 eral reductional program through 

 boinities, or otherwise. 



48 



