27-i Sketches of Some Comynon Birds. 



made, the female is the chief architect and the principal 

 laborer, though the male assists by fetching a part of the 

 sticks, the female disposing them in the pile to please her 

 fancy. The chief material of the nest is coarse sticks, the 

 inner j»arts consisting of twigs and grasses. There is no 

 small amount of trash worked into the mass, which is 

 from four to six feet across and several feet high. Often 

 the same nest is used year after year, and as a small 

 amount of new material is added each season, the struc- 

 ture sometimes reaches to a height of six feet or more, and 

 often amounts to a respectable cartload. The eggs are 

 two, rarely three, and they are white or dingy-white, 

 measuring in length from 2.98 to 2.45, and in width from 

 2.25 to 1.95, in inches. 



The eagles are valiant in defending their homes against 

 the depredations of other birds, quadrupeds, and reptiles. 

 However, they show none of the courage imputed to them 

 when the human despoiler plunders their eyries, and at 

 such times they do not appear to have much concern in 

 the fate of their homes. At times they fly about the spot, 

 uttering a harsh, screaming cry. At other times they sit 

 in a convenient tree within sight, and apparently unmoved, 

 they watch the actions of the visitor, being careful to 

 keep out of range of any weapons the intruder may carry. 

 Mr. Maynard says: "When the nest is approached, the 

 parent eagles do not exhibit any great degree of solicitude, 

 merely flying about at long rifle range, and uttering a 

 harsh, cackling note. They have a singular habit of drop- 

 ping at such times when shot at and uninjured, just as 

 if they had been hit, and I have seen a female turn over 

 several times, almost exactly like a tumbler pigeon. The 

 males are particularly shy; in fact, they will often leave 

 the vicinity when they perceive an intruder." j 



The food habits of the bald eagle have been referred to. 

 While it looks to the osprey for a part of its supply of fish, 

 the eagle is itself an expert in catching its favorite food. 

 It does not make grand plunges from great heights like 

 the osprey, but it submerges itself with ease and rarely 

 fails to seize the desired prey. The coots and gallinules, 

 or raudhens, of the swamps become toothsome delicacies 

 for it when it can not procure fish, and all kinds of water- 



