50 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



and it undoubtedly breeds in the wildest districts of these 

 States. The following are the most interesting facts, given 

 by Audubon, in relation to this species : 



"The Golden Eagle, although a permanent resident in the 

 United States, is of rare occurrence there ; it being seldom that 

 one sees more than a pair or two in the course of a year, unless he 

 be an inhabitant of the mountains, or of the large plains spread out 

 at their base. I have seen a few of them on the wing along the 

 shores of the Hudson, others on the upper parts of the Mississippi, 

 some among the Alleghanies, and a pair in the State of Maine. 

 At Labrador, we saw an individual sailing, at the height of a few 

 yards, over the moss-covered surface of the dreary rocks. 



"Although powerful in flight, it has not the speed of many 

 hawks, nor even of the White-headed Eagle. It cannot, like the 

 latter, pursue and seize, on the wing, the prey it longs for ; but is 

 obliged to glide down through the air for a certain height to insure 

 the success of its enterprise. The keenness of its eye, however, 

 makes up for this" defect, and enables it to spy, at a great distance, 

 the objects on which it preys ; and it seldom misses its aim, as it 

 falls with the swiftness of a meteor towards the spot on which they 

 are concealed. When .at a great height in the air, its gyrations are 

 uncommonly beautiful, being slow and of wide circuit, and becom- 

 ing the majesty of the king of birds. It often continues them for 

 hours at a time, with apparently the greatest ease. 



" The notes of this species are sharp and harsh ; resembling, at 

 times, the barking of a dog ; especially about the breeding season, 

 when the birds become extremely noisy and turbulent, flying more 

 swiftly than at other times, alighting more frequently, and evincing 

 a fretfulness which is not so observable after their eggs are laid. 



" They are capable of remaining without food for several days at 

 a time, and eat voraciously whenever they find an opportunity. 



"Young fawns, raccoons, hares, wild turkeys, and other large 

 birds, are their usual food ; and they devour putrid flesh only when 

 hard pressed by hunger, none alighting on carrion at any other 

 time. 



I regret that I am unable to add any thing to our knowl- 

 edge of its habits and breeding peculiarities. Dr. Brewer 



