278 WANDERINGS IN 



FOUHTII O f the press, and the cheapness of the publications, 



JOURNEY. A 



- ought to raise the name of Philadelphia to an 

 elevated situation in the temple of knowledge. 



From the press of this city came Wilson's 

 famous " Ornithology." By observing the birds 

 in their native haunts, he has been enabled to 

 purge their history of numberless absurdities, 

 which inexperienced theorists had introduced into 

 it. It is a pleasing and a brilliant work. We 

 have no description of birds in any European 

 publication that can come up to this. By perus- 

 ing Wilson's " Ornithology " attentively before I 

 left England, I knew where to look for the birds, 

 and immediately recognized them in their native 

 land. 

 wwte- Since his time, I fear that the white-headed 



headed 



Eagles. eagles have been much thinned. I was perpe- 

 tually looking out for them, but saw very few. 

 One or two came now and then, and soared in 

 lofty flight over the falls of Niagara. The 

 Americans are proud of this bird in effigy, and 

 their hearts rejoice when its banner is unfurled. 

 Could they not then be persuaded to protect the 

 white-headed eagle, and allow it to glide in safety 

 over its own native forests ? Were I an American, 

 I should think I had committed a kind of sacri- 

 lege in killing the white-headed eagle. The Ibis 

 was held sacred by the Egyptians ; the Hollanders 

 protect the stork ; the vulture sits unmolested on 

 the top of the houses in the city of Angustura ; 



