246 American Birds 



1 6th. In other words, it took nineteen days for the finches 

 to hatch the eggs and rear the family, or about four weeks 

 to build a nest and send the young birds forth into the 

 world. 



How does the eagle compare with the finch? The 

 same aerie was used year after year. Two dull white 

 eggs, shell-marked with brown, were laid the first week of 

 March, just as the sycamore was beginning to bud out. 

 The period of incubation lasted about a month, for the 

 eggs were not hatched till the third of April. The eaglets 

 were covered with soft, white down soon after hatching. 

 White is not the color for a hunter, but these snowy gar- 

 ments lasted for a full month, during which the youngsters 

 grew from the egg to the size and weight of a large hen. 

 The first week in May black pin-feathers began to push 

 up through the down, first appearing on the wings and 

 back. Week after week the stiff feathers grew, but they 

 came slowly, covering the back, wings, head, and neck, 

 until by the first week of June the eaglets were fairly well 

 clothed in a bristling suit of dark brown and black, except 

 for a small white shirt front. The wings and feet were 

 still weak. It required over three weeks longer for the 

 wing feathers to gain strength and the feet to grow pow- 

 erful enough for the birds to handle their heavy bodies. 

 So, where the finch required four weeks to rear a family, 

 it took the eagle a good four months. 



THE EAGLE FAMILY 



The largest bird of prey, known as king among birds. A bird of 

 great size and powerful on the wing. It is a rare occasion when one gets 

 a near view of one of these wild birds; they are often seen high in the 



