THE BALD EAGLE 135 



when she was directly over the water. Evidently the 

 eagle realized that there was danger of the fish's being a 

 loss to both of them. 



The bald eagle is our typical American eagle, being 

 found only in America. Except the golden eagle and 

 California condor it is our largest bird of prey, and is found 

 in practically all parts of our country. Its habit of rob- 

 bing the fish hawk is practised from Maine to California. 



It is very powerful of flight, but is not particularly bold. 

 It catches many rabbits and other small animals, and 

 occasionally a fish. I have also seen it disputing the car- 

 cass of a dead horse with crows and buzzards. Yet both 

 these birds recognized their master in the eagle, for they 

 preserved a respectful distance until it had dined and 

 left the carcass. Then they again scrimmaged for its pos- 

 session. Eagles often live to a great age. 



It is interesting to watch an eagle's nest when the 

 fledglings are grown and ready to fly. I have had this 

 privilege and tell the story in detail in the history of a 

 famous old golden eagle in my "Elo the Eagle and Other 

 Stories/' When the mother wishes to teach her eaglets to 

 fly, she pushes them out of the nest, one at a time, and 

 lets them flutter and fly as best they can. Should the 

 fledgling be about to fall to the earth, she quickly swoops 

 under it, receives it on her back, and mounts high into 

 the air where she slips from under it and again allows it 

 to use its wings. In this way it is only a short time till 

 all of her fledglings are able to fly. 



i Bald eagles usually nest high. Where there are no trees 

 they nest on cliffs ; in the mountains the nest is frequently 

 on a projecting rock on the side of a cliff or in some simi- 

 lar location, inaccessible to man. When a tall tree is se- 



