446 AVES—EAGLE. 
friend, with 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 acircuitous spiral manner, as if with an intention of checking 
all retreating movement which its prey might attempt, and only when 
within a few yaras darting upon it. The fish-hawk often does the same. 
When rising with a fish they fly 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 froma 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 ine, 
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 o) 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 
