THE EAGLE. 119 



young birds had disappeared, and they passed the whole 

 day without seeing or hearing anything of either them 

 or the old ones. It appeared from their observations, 

 that the old ones had actually removed their young to 

 fresh quarters, but as they did not seem sufficiently 

 grown to use their wings, how they could accomplish 

 such a removal, was a mystery not to be solved. 



Two years afterwards, the same person was fortu- 

 nate enough to shoot one dead on the spot, as it sat 

 upon a low tree, attracted, as was supposed, by the scent 

 of some slaughtered hogs. The bird in this case seemed 

 to be perfectly fearless, not only allowing the sportsman 

 to approach within easy gunshot distance, but looking at 

 him all the time with an undaunted eye. 



Having had, since first seeing one of this species, 

 other opportunities of observing their habits, he has 

 given some very interesting details. In its flight it 

 differs from another sort of Eagle for which it is often 

 taken; when looking after fish in the water below, it 

 makes very wide circles, and when it sees one, it falls 

 gradually in a circuitous, spiral manner, as if with an 

 intention of checking any retreating movement of its 

 prey. When within a few yards, however, it darts down 

 like a shot, and seldom misses its object. As it is so 

 constantly exposed to the water, its feathers are pro- 

 vided with a greater portion of that oily substance 

 common to many birds, and they shine as if covered 

 with a thin coating of clear gum. An anecdote is re- 

 lated by Dr. Richardson*, who accompanied that enter- 

 prising traveller, Sir John Franklin, as current on the 

 plains of Saskatchewan in North America, of a half-bred 

 Indian, who was vaunting his prowess before a band of 

 his countrymen, and wishing to impress them with a 

 belief of his supernatural power. In the midst of his 

 harangue, an Eagle was observed suspended as it were 

 in the air directly over his head ; upon which, pointing 



* RICHARDSON'S Fauna Americana. 



