12 OBSERVATIONS ON CANADIAN BIRDS. 
exertions of the hunters have been quite unsuccessful. Occasionally 
after the report of some heavily laden piece, a single broken feather 
has been seen winnowing its way downward, but as yet no mature 
specimen of the eagle has been procured. Latterly, the hunters 
being foiled in the chase, have resorted to stratagem, and have tried to 
poison the birds by putting strychnine into the body of a small animal, 
and leaving it near their usual hauuts. By this means two or three 
individuals were obtained, but all of them have been young birds, 
which are of a brownish colour, more or less blotched with white. 
The only instance I have heard of the capture of the mature Bald 
Eagle. in this vicinity, occurred some years ago, but may be worth 
repeating as tending to illustrate the habits of the bird. A labouring 
man residing in the outskirts of the city, found that some depredator 
was levying black mail upon his chickens, and resolved to put a stop 
to it ; at midnight he visited the roosts with his musket but all was quiet 
and no trace of mink or fox visible; about day break, however, there 
was a disturbance among the fowls, when, jumping up he was just in 
time to take a hurried aim at a large eagle, who was gliding off with a 
plump chicken clutched firmly in his talons. The shot took effect in 
the outer joint of the wing, which ,brought the spoil-encumbered 
marauder to the ground, pursuit and struggle then ensued, the eagle 
according to custom throwing himself on his back and fighting fiercely 
with his feet. In this curious engagement the gunner for a time had the 
worst of it, as owing to the hurried way in which he had been called 
into the field, he was ill prepared to contend with the sharp claws of 
his powerful adversary. On further assistance arriving from the house 
the eagle was secured alive, and brought into the city by his captor, 
who happened to be at work at the Goal and Court house, then in 
course of erection; here he was put for convenience into one of the 
cells, where he was visited by many of our citizens, some of whom 
gave expression to their wit, over the circumstance of the first prisoner 
confined in the Jail, being the rapacious symbol of American freedom.* 
The young of this species differs from the adult so much in appear- 
ance that till within the last few years they were considered as distinct 
species, the former being described as the “grey sea Eagle,’ Wilson, 
who closely observed their habits, had suspicions that they were 
identical, but the fact was not proved till after his time. 
* While the above was in type the writer procured a fine specimen of the adult animal, 
measuring three feet by six feet six inches.—Jannary, 1861. 
