4G 



VERTEBUATA. 



THE YOUNG BALD EAOLE. 



the surface, to escape the talons of this second assailant. The first eagle is now poising itself in. 

 the place wliere its mate formerly was, and rushes anew, to force the quarry to make another 

 plunge. By thus alternately gliding, in rapid and often-repeated rushes, over the ill-fated bird, 

 they soon fatigue it, when it stretches out its neck, swims deeply, and makes for the shore in the 

 hope of concealing itself among the rank weeds. But this is of no avail ; for the eagles follow it 

 in all its motions; and the moment it approaches the margin, one of them darts upon it." 



It cannot be very gratifying to us Americans, after reading these pages, to reflect that this bird 

 is inscribed on our national banner : we have only the poor satisfaction to know that Franklin early 

 uttered his protest against it. His w-ords were as follows : — " For my part, I wish the bald eagle 

 had not been chosen as the representative of our country. lie is a bird of bad moral character ; 

 he does not get his living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead tree, where, 

 too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labors of the fishing-hawk ; and when that diligent 

 bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young 

 ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him. With all this injustice, he is never in 



