244 American Birds 



can describe it. After three months of human acquaint- 

 ance, it was the real king of birds that left the birthplace, 

 never again to be touched alive by the hand of man. 



The golden eagle was formerly found east of the Mis- 

 sissippi as well as west, but it does not now frequent the 

 more settled portions. A single pair may still live in the 

 wildest regions of New England or northern New York, 

 or a few may still have their homes in the mountains of 

 the two Virginias, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, or the 

 Carolinas. The bird is not common anywhere, yet it is 

 still found in the mountainous regions of the West, es- 

 pecially in portions of California. In the Rocky Moun- 

 tains the golden eagle often builds its nest on the high 

 cliffs, but in California and Oregon its favorite nesting 

 sites are the pines, oaks, or sycamores of the deep canons 

 or the rugged slopes. 



Although still found in the wilder regions of Califor- 

 nia these birds have suffered a great deal from collectors 

 during the last decade. Their habit of occupying the same 

 aerie year after year enables the collector, after once lo- 

 cating the nest, to make his yearly raid to advantage, as 

 the eggs are rare enough to have a good market value. 

 One nest was robbed for three successive years and the 

 female killed, but the male secured another mate and kept 

 the same nest the following season. But where the eagles 

 are robbed continually for several years they are sure to 

 be driven away. They have entirely disappeared from 

 certain places where they were once regular residents. 



In several cases I have known the golden eagle to 

 show as marked an individuality as a person. In one aerie 

 that was used a pair of birds showed a peculiar liking for 



