200 Life of Auduhon. 



his imagination, and not upon facts, for many of the won 

 derful adventures he relates, incidental to his ornitholo- 

 gical descriptions. 



" Sitting upon the gallery of the planter's house, I no- 

 ticed some distance in front a tall magnolia tree, the upper 

 part of which was dead, indicating that it was of great 

 age. A closer examination developed the fact that the 

 very topmost horizontal limb had been artificially remov- 

 ed from the trunk, instead of falling to the ground by 

 the natural course of decay. I called the attention of 

 my host to the fact, and he informed me that it was die 

 result of one of Audubon's fancies. The story was as 

 follows : 



" One evening the planter and the naturalist sat to- 

 gether on the gallery, watching the decline of a summer's 

 clay, when they were surprised and delighted at the sud- 

 den appearance of a bald eagle that was circling high in 

 the heavens, occasionally flashing with peculiar brilliancy, 

 as the rays of the setting sun happened to strike the quiv- 

 ering plumage. The noble bird gradually descended 

 toward the earth, and finally settled upon the very limb 

 that had been cut from the tree. 



" As soon as the bird alighted, Audubon got up very 

 deliberately, and, going into his room, brought out his 

 rifle and commenced very deliberately drawing a charge 

 of mustard-seed shot. 



" ' You had better hurry,' said the planter, ' that bird 

 seems restless already ; he won't keep his perch long.' 



" ' Yes he will,' said Audubon, almost drawling his 

 words. ' I have disturbed that eagle's nest to-day, and 

 he is now engaged in examining the damage, and making 

 his calculations about the danger of returning home ; 

 never fear his flying away until the day is well spent' 



" And sure enough, said the planter, Audubon under- 

 stood the habits of the eagle, for there the poor bird sat, 



