54 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 107 



until we left the vicinity, when she called our attention 

 by her strange cries. 



The third nest w^as found the same day, three miles 

 farther in the swamp. It was in an especially high cy- 

 press with no side branches below the nest. Young birds 

 could be heard plainly from a good distance, and their 

 little round heads could be seen above the black rim. 

 Neither adult was present when we arrived, and as the 

 young were desired for museum specimens, the tree was 

 cut. One of the old birds appeared in a short time trail- 

 ing a long piece of moss in her talons, which gave her tail 

 a long pointed appearance. This bird, too, refused to ap- 

 proacli close to the nest. Their sharp ej'esight is uncanny, 

 and although we desired to collect the pair, we were never 

 able to get them within range. In the last nest, besides 

 the usual clutter of feathers and bones, w^e were surprised 

 to find a nest of hornets. 



Eagles, as is usual with large predacious birds, do not 

 nest in close proximity to each other. On Pecan Island 

 I have been told of seven nests on one ridge, and that is the 

 largest number I have heard of, — and can not verify that 

 report. Usually there is only one to many miles of terri- 

 tory. It would be supposed that such a bulky nest Avould 

 be very conspicuous, especially as the cypress are not 

 leaved out during the nesting season, but the masses of 

 waving moss that festoon all the trees and the dense growth 

 of underbrush effectively conceal this aerial home from 

 casual observers. 



Nesting material is gathered from the ground, and 

 some small pieces were nicely cut as though from the blow 

 of a hatchet. An old trapper told me of an interesting 

 experience with these noble birds. He was resting under 

 a tall cy])ress after a hard trip over the trap line, and he 

 was attracted by the birds sailing overhead. One of them 

 came to his tree, hovered above with a few strong strokes 

 of its powerful wings, and then dropped like a plummet 

 for a distance of about twenty-five feet upon a small out- 



