446 ^ AVES— EAGLE. 



friend, Avith a pride which those only can feel, who, like me, have devoted 

 their earliest childhood to such pursuits, and have derived from them their 

 first of pleasures; to others, I must seem 'to prattle out of fashion.' The 

 doctor, who was an experienced hunter, examined the bird with much 

 satisfaction, and frankly acknowledged he had never before seen or heard 

 of it. The name I chose for this new species of eagle, ' The Bird of Wash- 

 ington,' may, by some, be considered as preposterous and unfit; but, being 

 indisputably the noblest of the genus known to naturalists, I trust it will be 

 allowed to retain it. To those, however, who may be curious to know my 

 reasons, I can only say, that, as the new world gave me birth and liberty, 

 the great man who insured its independence is next to my heart ; he had 

 such true nobility of mind, and honest generous feeling, as is seldom pos- 

 sessed; he was brave, so was the eagle; and his name, extending from pole 

 to pole, resembles the majestic soarings of the mightiest of the feathered 

 tribe. 



" During the month of January following, I saw a pair of sea eagles flying 

 over the Falls of the Ohio, one in chase of the other. The next day I saw 

 them again ; the female had relaxed in her severity, had laid aside her coy- 

 ness, and to a favored tree they continually resorted. I pursued them 

 unsuccessfully for several days, when they forsook the place. 



" The flight of this bird is very different from that of the white-headed 

 eagle, encircling more diameter than the latter; whilst sailing, keeping 

 nearer to the land and the surface of the water ; and when about to dive for 

 fish, falling in a circuitous spiral manner, as if with an intention of checking 

 all retreating movement which its prey might attempt, and only Avhen 

 within a few yards darting upon it. The fish-hawk often does the same. 

 When rising with a fish they fiy to a considerable distance, forming, in their 

 line of course and that of the water, a very acute angle, sometimes not 

 exceeding thirty degrees, when several hundred yards distant from the spot 

 emerged from. My last opportunity of seeing the sea eagle, was on the 

 15th of November, 1821, a few miles above the mouth of the Ohio; two 

 passed over our boat, moving down in easy flappings. In a letter from a kind 

 relation. Mr ***, dated 'Falls of the Ohio, July, 1819,' containing particulars 

 relative to the swallow-tailed hawk (Falco furcatus,) he also says, ' Yes- 

 terday, for the first time, I had an opportunity of viewing one of those 

 magnificent birds, which you call the sea eagle, as it passed low over me, 

 whilst fishing ; I shall be really glad when I can again have the pleasure 

 of seeing your drawing of it.' The glands containing the oil, used for the 

 purpose of lubricating the surface of the plumage, were, in the specimen 

 here represented, extremely large ; the contents had the appearance of hog's 

 fat which had been melted and become rancid. This bird makes more 

 copious use of that substance than the white-headed eagle, or any of the 

 Falco genus, except the fish-hawk ; the whole plumage looking, upon close 

 examination, as if it had received a general coating of a thin clear dilution of 



