58 HISTORY Of 



Such are the general characteristics and habitudes of the 

 cHgle ; however, in some these habitudes differ, as the sea 

 eagle and the osprey live chiefly upon fish, and consequently 

 ))uild their nests on the shore, and by the sides of rivers on the 

 f-Tiound among reeds; and often lay three or four eggs, ra- 

 ther less than those of a hen, of a white elliptical form. They 

 <-atch their prey, which is chiefly fish, by darting down upon 

 them from above. The Italians compare the violent descent 

 of these birds on their prey to the fall of lead into water ; and 

 call them aquila piombina, or the leaden eagle. 



Nor is the bald eagle, which is an inhabitant of North Caro- 

 lina, less remarkable for habits peculiar to itself. These birds 

 breed in that country all the year round. When the eaglets are 

 just covered with down, and a sort of white woolly feathers, 

 the female eagle lays again. These eggs are left to be hatched 

 by the warmth of the young ones that continue in the nest ; so 

 that the flight of one brood makes room for the next that are 

 but just hatched. These birds fly very heavily ; so that they 

 lannot overtake their prey, like others of the same denomina- 

 tion. To remedy this, they often attend a sort of fishing-hawk, 

 which they pursue, and strip the plunderer of its prey. This 

 is the more remarkable, as this hawk flies swifter than they. 

 These eagles also generally attend upon fowlers in the winter," 

 and when any birds are wounded, they are sure to be seized by 

 the eagle, though they may fly from the fowler. This bird will 

 often also steal young pigs, and carry them alive to the nest, 

 which is composed of twigs, sticks, and rubbish ; it is large 

 enough to fill the body of a cart ; and is commonly full of 

 bones half eaten, and putrid flesh, the stench of which is into- 

 lerable. 



The distinctive marks of each species are as follow : 



The golden eagle : of a tawny iron colour ; the head and neck 

 of a reddish iron ; the tail feathers of a dirty white, marked 

 with cross bands of tawny iron ; the legs covered with tawny iror 

 feathers. 



The common eagle : of a brown colour ; the head and uppei 

 part of the neck inclining to red ; the tail feathers white, black- 

 ening at the ends ; the outer ones, on each side, of an ash co- 

 lour ; the legs covered with feathers of a reddish brown.* 

 ♦ The Common Eagle, is found all over Europe and North America. It Ire- 



