172 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



ing out boldly against a background of untrodden 

 snow, or the cold gray sky of a winter day, they are 

 sure to command attention. Their position then is 

 that of dignified repose ; but let a mouse stir in the 

 grass beneath them, or dainty vesper mice venture 

 from their bush nests in the smilax, and instantly this 

 " sluggish, heavy" hawk is all activity. 



Audubon's account of this bird runs, in part, as 

 follows : 



" When not alarmed it usually flies low and sedately, and does not 

 exhibit any of the courage and vigor so conspicuous in most other 

 hawks, suffering thousands of birds to pass without pursuing them. 

 The greatest feat I have ever seen it perform was scrambling at the 

 edge of the water to secure a lethargic frog. They alight on trees 

 to roost, but appear so hungry or indolent at all times that they seldom 

 retire to rest until after dusk. Their large eyes, indeed, seem to in- 

 dicate their possession of the faculty of seeing at that late hour. I 

 have frequently put up one that seemed watching for food at the edge 

 of a ditch long after sunset." 



The Golden Eagle is now one of those rare birds 

 that, if seen, becomes the talk of the neighborhood, 

 and one is never shot but the fact is recorded in the 

 village paper as a wonderful event. The probabilities 

 are that in Indian times they were abundant during 

 the winter along our river valleys, and not unlikely 

 they were resident. Even so recently as 1800 (I have 

 manuscript records) they were observed, as well as 

 the Bald Eagles, to follow the enormous flights of 

 wild ducks in November, that were then a character- 

 istic occurrence in the tide-water portion of the Dela- 

 ware Valley. At present this eagle is not uncommon 

 along the sea-coast in winter, but is only seen singly, 



