78 STOKIES OF BIRD LIFE 



is over two years old. An eagle 's foot is especially adapted 

 to seizing and holding its prey. The muscles of the leg are 

 so arranged that when the weight of the body is thrown 

 on the foot the long sharp claws are driven deep, and once 

 they close on a victim there is no escape. 



In mountainous regions bald eagles often build their 

 nests on cliffs. In many sections they are more or less 

 destructive to lambs and young pigs. Where the supply 

 of fish, grouse, squirrels or other natural prey is plentiful, 

 domestic animals are seldom disturbed. Only once have I 

 witnessed such a capture. An eagle carried off before my 

 eyes a grown hen from a flock in a neighbor's barn yard. 

 They are especially fond of fish. These they usually pro- 

 cure by swooping down and snatching them from the water 

 in their talons. It is well known that they sometimes rob 

 the ospreys of the fish which they have caught. There is, 

 therefore, little neighborly love between the eagles and fish 

 hawks of a community. 



One day I noticed one of the eagles sitting on a dead 

 pine near the lake. An osprey had worked itself into a 

 great fury at the sight of him and with cries of annoyance 

 was constantly diving through the air at its old enemy. 

 For some time the eagle kept his perch, merely throwing 

 up his wings to avoid a blow when the osprey swooped 

 nearest. After a time he wearied of this continual dodging 



