AQUILA CHRYS^TOS — GOLDEN EAGLE. 209 



It prefers dead to living prey, and frequents the shores of 

 seas and lakes for the dead animals thrown up by the waves, 

 and will even feed on carrion. We are not aware that this 

 eagle breeds in Ohio, as our State has no wild mountainous 

 districts in which it can build its nest, but it has been found 

 breeding in the Highlands of the Hudson, and among the 

 rocks and hills of the Upper Lakes, and may be found 

 sparingly on all our mountain chains. 



In 1810, when Dr. Kirtland first came to this State, eagles 

 were plentiful, and were often seen flying along the lake 

 shore. Among these Golden Eagles were occasionally to 

 seen, but as all the large predacious birds have become 

 comi)aratively scarce, it is somewhat doubtful if this species 

 now visits Ohio. 



In describing this eagle, Macgillivray, in his British 

 Birds^ says : 



" The flight of the Golden Eagle is very beautiful. Owing 

 to the great size of its wings, it finds some difficulty in rising 

 from the ground, although it is considerably more active in 

 this respect than the White Tailed Eagle; but when fairly 

 on wing, it proceeds with great ease, and on occasion it is 

 capable of urging its speed so as to equal that of most large 

 birds. However, even at its utmost stretch, it is certainly 

 much inferior to that of the Rock Pigeon, the Merlin, and 

 many other species, and the Raven, during breeding season, 

 finds no difficulty in overtaking an Eagle that may happen 

 to fly near its nest. 



"When searching the hills for food, it flies low, with a 

 motion of the wings resembling that of the Raven, but with 

 occasional sailings and curves, in the manner of many hawks. 

 At times it ascends high into the air, and floats in a circling 

 course over the mountains, until it has discovered some 

 large object; but in tracing grouse and other animals con- 

 cealed in the herbage, or in hunting for sea fowls and their 



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