198 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



of how I coiUd take away his life with the least 

 pain to him. I consulted several persons on the 

 subject, and among others, my most worthy 

 and generous friend, Dr. George Parkman, who 

 kindly visited my family every day. He spoke 

 of suifocating him by means of burning charcoal, 

 of kilhng him by electricity, etc., and we both 

 concluded that the first method would be pro- 

 bably the easiest for ourselves, and the least pain- 

 ful to him. Accordingly the bird was removed 

 in his prison to a very small room, and closely 

 covered with blankets — a pan of lighted charcoal 

 was introduced, the windows and doors fastened, 

 and the blankets tucked in beneath the cage. I 

 waited, expecting every moment to hear him fall 

 down from his perch; but after listening for 

 hours^ I opened the door, raised the blankets, 

 and peeped under them amidst a mass of suffo- 

 cating fumes. There stood the eagle on his 

 perch, with his bright, unflinching eye turned 

 towards me, and as lively and vigorous as ever ! 

 Instantly reclosing every aperture, I resumed 

 my station at the door, and towards midnight, 

 not having heard the least noise, I again took a 

 peep at my victim. He was still uninjured, al- 

 though the air of the closet was insupportable 

 to my son and myself^ and that of the adjoining 

 apartment began to feel unpleasant. I per- 

 severed, however, for ten hours in all, when, 



