128 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



"well knew could not be accurate ! The sTcin, when the bird 

 was quite recent, was of a bright yellow. The bird was ex- 

 tremely lousy. Its stomach contained the remains of a bull- 

 frog, numerous hard-shelled worms, and a quantity of horse 

 and deer-hair. The skin was saved with great difficulty, and 

 its plumage had entirely lost its original lightness of coloring. 

 The deep red of the fleshy parts of the head had assumed a 

 purplish livid hue, and the spoil scarcely resembled the coat 

 of the living Eagle. 



I made a double drawing of this individual, for the purpose 

 of showing all its feathers, which I hope will be found to be 

 accm^ately represented. 



This is the way in which one of the truest naturalists who 

 ever delineated form of bird, beast, or creeping thing, con- 

 sidered it necessary to labor in his vocation, and this is his 

 opinion about the evanescence of colors in the dead subjects, 

 and, as is of course implied, of the undoubtedly wide play for 

 the "fancy" in replacing them. 



Hear, too, his account of the study of Water Birds. He 

 says — 



The difficulties which are to be encountered in studying 

 the habits of our Water Birds are great. He who follows 

 the feathered inhabitants of the forests and plains, however 

 rough or tangled the paths may be, seldom fails to obtain the 

 objects of his pursuit, provided he be possessed of due enthu- 

 siasm and perseverance. The Land Bird flits from bush to 

 bush, runs before you, and seldom extends its flight beyond 

 the range of your vision. It is very different with the AVater 

 Bird, which sweeps afar over the wide ocean, hovers above 

 the surges, or betakes itself for refuge to the inaccessible 

 rocks on the shore. There, on the smooth sea-beach, you see 

 the lively and active Sandpiper ; on that rugged promontory 

 the Dusky Cormorant ; under the dark shade of yon cypress 

 the Ibis and Heron ; above you in the still air floats the Peli- 

 can or the Swan ; while far over the angry billows scorn* the 



