BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 135 



patching it ; but if it was a Thomas feline, of huge dimensions, all the 

 powers of the bird were brought into requisition. Then the true na- 

 ture of the eagle was seen. The eyes, before bright, now shone like 

 balls of fire, the crest feathers standing up ; his voice, before hushed, 

 now added discord to the dying yells of his struggling victim, so inex- 

 tricably fixed in his relentless talons. He could kill a cat in from two 

 to five minutes. Commonly, the eagle would grasp the cat around the 

 small of the back with one foot, and with the other he encircled the neck, 

 thus retaining his hold until the animal had ceased its struggles, which 

 were soon over, as they were greatly augmented by fright and excessive 

 violence of action. When the cat became quiet the eagle would raise his 

 wings, which he had allowed to drop, draw his body up as high as pos- 

 sible from his prey, and proceed leisurely to tear off the skin from his 

 captive's back and side, exposing the muscles and viscera, which he ate. 

 "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." Audubon. 



GENUS HALI-ffiETUS SAVIQITF. 

 Halieeetus leucocephalus (LiNN.). 



Bald Eagle. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 84). 



Tarsi feathered only about half way down. 



Male. Length about 3 feet; extent of wings about? feet. Female larger, meas- 

 uring sometimes 8 feet in extent. 



Adult. Head, neck, tail and upper coverts of latter, white ; rest of plumage dusky- 

 brown ; bill, feet and eyes yellow. 



Young. Entire plumage dark-brown ; some are grayish-brown, and tail more or 

 less spotted with white ; bill dark-colored ; eyes brown. 



Habitat. North America at large, south to Mexico. 



The name "Bald," which is given to this species is not applied be- 

 cause the head is bare, but because the feathers of the neck and head in 

 the adults are pure white. In Pennsylvania, as well as throughout the 

 United States, we have but two species of eagles. The " Black," " Gray" 

 and "Washington" Eagles are all young of the Bald Eagle. Three 

 years, it is stated, are required before this species assumes the adult 

 plumage. The Bald Eagle is found in Pennsylvania at all seasons of 

 the year. A few of these birds annually rear their young along the 

 Susquehanna river, and also in a few other localities in this state. The 

 nest, a bulky affair, built usually on a large tree, mostly near the water, 

 is said to be about five or six feet in diameter. It is made up chiefly of 

 large sticks, lined inside with grasses, leaves, etc. The eggs commonly 

 2 rarely 3 are white and measure about 3 by 2J inches. A favorite 

 article of food with this bird is fish, which he obtains, chiefly, by strategy 



