192 THE WILD TURKEY. 



in agony and despair, seeks by varied manoeuvres to elude 

 the grasp of his cruel talons. Now it mounts, now doubles, 

 and would willingly plunge into the stream, were it not pre- 

 vented by the eagle, who, knowing that by such a stratagem 

 the swan might escape him, forces it to remain in the air by 

 his attempts to strike it with his talons from beneath. The 

 swan has already become much weakened, and its strength 

 fails at sight of the courage and swiftness of its antagonist. 

 At one moment it seems about to escape, when the ferocious 

 eagle strikes with his talons the under side of its w r ing, and 

 with an unresisted power forces the bird to fall in a slant- 

 ing direction upon the nearest shore. Pouncing downwards, 

 the eagle is soon joined by his mate, when they turn the 

 body of the luckless swan upwards, and tear it open with 

 their talons. 



Along all the coasts of North America, as also at the 

 mouths of the chief rivers, the white-headed eagle is found 

 watching for his prey. An instance is mentioned of one of 

 these savage birds being entrapped, and falling a victim to 

 his voracity. Having pursued a wild duck to a piece of 

 freshly-formed ice, he pitched upon it, and began tearing his 

 prey to pieces, when the mass on which he stood continuing 

 to freeze, his feet became fixed in the ice. Having vainly 

 endeavoured with his powerful wings to rise in the air, he 

 ultimately perished miserably. 



THE WILD TURKEY. 



The wild turkey, acknowledged to be the finest of game 

 birds, ranges throughout the forests of the more temperate 

 portions of America. It is the parent of the valued inha- 

 bitant of our poultry-yards ; and in its wild state utters the 



