THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST, 35 



the true emblem, of dignity and might, The White-headed, Bald- 

 headed, or American Sea Eagle is the national emblem of the 

 United States, and is a bird of a wide geographical range, being 

 met with from the ice-bound northern coast to the palm-covered 

 headlands of Brazil, and this bird at times makes inland journeys 

 to large lakes and up great rivers ; he is fierce and daring, but 

 not easily roused, and will watch the Osprey and coolly rob him 

 when he catches a fish. It is a bird of rapid flight, soaring at 

 times into the highest heavens, at others sitting low on a dead 

 tree near the sea shore watching for fish, flesh, or fowl, all of 

 which are equally relished by him. When first chosen as the 

 national emblem of America, Dr. Benjamin Franklyn objected, as 

 he said the bird was of bad moral character, thieving from and 

 preying on otlier birds ; bat otlier Americans, less sensitive, did 

 not view the laws of nature instinctively carried out by this bird, in 

 the same light, and every true citizen points to the American Eagle 

 with republican pride. 



In the northern parts of ISTorway where the coast is rocky, sea 

 Eagles rendezvous, and carry oE lambs and small animals, attacking 

 and often overpowering the l!^orwegian oxen, and his mode of attacking 

 them is singular and unique First darting down into the waves, he 

 then rolls about on the sandy beach in his wet plumage, until be 

 has his wings well charged with sand, tlien rising in the air, he 

 hovers over his intended victim, then swooping down in front of its 

 face, he flaps his wings with vigour, which sends the sand into the 

 eyes of the poor brute, and quite scares it by the blows of its 

 pinions, the ox thus blinded rushes away to avoid the Eagle and 

 soon becomes exhausted, or breaks his neck over a cliff, when the 

 enemy arrives and a banquet ensues. In Iceland, also, these Eagles 

 are the terror of the inhabitants, eating their eider ducks, &c., so 

 that when they manage to shoot one there is much rejoicing; and 

 even up much farther north they are met with, ever on the look-out 

 for some bird or beast to feast upon. 



One remarkable characteristic of both Eagles and Vultures is 

 their wonderful power of sight; great as it undoubtedly is, it has 

 been over estimated by most ornithologists, as they contend that 

 both species of birds can see incredible distances, and by their vision 

 can always find tlie carcase of any dead animal, no matter how far 

 off. Now, I believe it is their still more wonderful sense of smell 

 that guides them to dead animals, for in the countries where Vultures 

 and Eagles abound, a few hours suffice to cause decomposition to set 

 in, and as tlie scent from decomposing animal matter ascends, it 

 reaches those birds, far, far away in their elevated atmospheric soarinos. 

 It matters not what part of an African plain, or a dense Indian jungle 

 an animal is slain or dies, Eagles and Vultures, although nowhere 

 in sight, soon put in an appearance to refresh exhausted nature, 



