NORTHERN OCEAN 369 



Winter are but few in number, and shall be particularly 

 noticed in their proper places. 



Eagles of several sorts are found in the country bordering Eagles, 

 on Hudson's Bay during the Summer ; but none, except the 

 common brown Fishing Eagle/ ever frequent the Northern 

 parts. They always make their appearance in those dreary 

 regions about the latter end of March or beginning of April, 

 and build their nests in lofty trees, in the crevices of in- 

 accessible rocks near the [399] banks of rivers. They lay but 

 two eggs, (which are white,) and frequently bring but one 

 young. They generally feed on fish, which they catch as 

 they are swimming near the surface ; but they are very de- 

 structive to the musk rat and hares, as also to geese and 

 ducks, when in a moulting state, and frequently kill young 

 beaver. Their nests are very large, frequently six feet in 

 diameter ; and before their young can fly, are so provident, 

 that the Indians frequently take a most excellent meal of fish, 

 flesh, and fowl from their larder. Though they bring forth 

 their young so early as the latter end of May, or the beginning 

 of June, yet they never fly till September ; a little after which 

 they migrate to the Southward. They are the most ravenous 

 of any bird I know ; for when kept in confinement or in a 

 tame state as it may be called, I have known two of them eat 

 more than a bushel of fish in a day. They are never known 

 to breed on the barren grounds to the North of Churchill 

 River, though many of the lakes and rivers in those parts 

 abound with variety of fish. This is probably owing to the 

 want of trees or high rocks to build in. The Northern 

 Indians are very partial to the quill-feathers of the Eagle, as 

 well as to those of the hawk, to wing or plume their arrows 

 with, out of a superstitious notion that they have a greater 



[^ From Hearne's description of its habits he evidently refers to the white- 

 headed eagle, Haliaeius leucocephalus alascanus Townsend, which is the 

 commoner of the two species of that region. The golden eagle, Aquila chry- 

 satos (Linn.), is rare near the Bay, but in places in the interior, where rocky 

 ledges occur, is sometimes rather common.] 



2 A 



