CANNIBALS IN COURT 45 



long time since they flew about in the woods, and 

 took a bath or plumed themselves." 



" The judge ought to wear spectacles ! May I cut 

 him a pair out of paper ? " asked Dodo. " See how wise 

 he looks," she said, as she put the make-believe glasses 

 on the Eagle's nose. 



" Order ! " called the Doctor, rapping on the table 

 with his knuckles. "The American Eagle -makes the 

 first speech, which I will translate to you." 



The Eagle looked very fierce as he sat there. His 

 head, neck, and tail were white, but the rest of his 

 body was dark brown. The upper part of his great 

 yellow beak was hooked ; his yellow feet were bare 

 and scaly; and his four sharp claws, or talons as they 

 are often called, were black. He was nearly three feet 

 tall, and if he had spread his powerful wings he would 

 have measured seven feet from tip to tip. 



The Golden Eagle, who sat at the foot of the table, 

 was about the same size and an equally handsome bird. 

 He held his golden-brown head proudly erect, and his 

 black wings folded tightly. He too had some white 

 feathers in the tail, though none on the head ; his hooked 

 beak was black, and he wore dark leggings almost 

 down to his powerful claws. 



These two Eagles, though not exactly friends, are not 

 enemies; for the Bald-headed one ranges over all of North 

 America, especially in open places near the water, while 

 his Golden brother keeps more to the western parts, 

 and loves the loneliness of cold northern mountains. 



" We Birds of Prey," said the Eagle, " who bow to no 

 one and even sleep sitting erect we, whose females 

 are larger than the males for the better protection of 



