244 THE EAGLE. 



They catch their prey, which is chiefly fish, by darting down 

 upon them from above. The Italians compare the violent 

 descent of these birds on their prey to the fall of lead into 

 water ; and call them aquila piombina^ or the Leaden Eagle. 



Nor is the Bald Eagle, which is an inhabitant of North 

 Carolina, less remarkable for habits peculiar to itself. These 

 birds breed in that country all the year round. When the 

 eaglets are just covered with down, and a sort of white woolly 

 feathers, the female Eagle lays again. These eggs are left 

 to be hatched by the warmth of the young ones that continue 

 *in the nest ; so that the flight of one brood makes room for 

 the next that are but just hatched. These birds fly very 

 heavily ; so that they cannot overtake their prey, like others 

 of the same denomination. To remedy this, they often at- 

 tend a sort of fishing-hawk, which they pursue, and strip the 

 plunderer of its prey. This is the more remarkable, as this 

 hawk flies swifter than they. These Eagles also generally 

 attend upon fowlers in the winter ; and when any birds axe 

 wounded, they are sure to be seized by the Eagle, though 

 they may fly from the fowler. This bird will often also steal 

 young pigs, and carry them alive to the nest, which is com- 

 posed of twigs, sticks, and rubbish ; it is large enough to fill 

 the body of a cart, and is commonly full of bones half eaten, 

 and putrid flesh, the stench of which is intolerable. 



The following account of the capture of an Eagle may not 

 be uninteresting : On the 29th of November, 1804, an Eagle 

 was shot at Stockfield Park, near Wetherby, by the game- 

 keeper of the Countess of Aberdeen, in the grounds near the 

 house. It received the shot of three discharges before it was 

 secured ; and even after being disabled it defended itself so 

 powerfully as to elude every device of the gamekeeper for 

 seizing it, till he thought of presenting it the muzzle of his 

 gun, which it seized and held so firmly as to hang suspended 

 from it by the beak while he carried it home. It measured 

 nine feet four inches between the extremities of the wings, and 

 the beak, talons, and legs indicated a strength proportioned to 

 these dimensions. It continued to live for some time after 

 the capture. 



