264 LIFE HISTORIES OP NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The Golden or "Mountain" Eagle, as it is frequently called in the West, 

 is a clean, trim-looking, handsome bird, keen-sighted, rather shy and wary at 

 all times, even in thinly settled parts of the country, swift of flight, strong and 

 powerful in body, and more than a match for any animal of similar size. In 

 the West, where food is still plenty, their bill of fare is quite varied. This, I 

 am informed, includes occasionally young fawns of antelope and deer, but 

 more frequently small mammals of different kinds, as the yellow-bellied 

 marmot, prairie dogs, hares, wood rats, squirrels, and smaller rodents, water- 

 fowl, from Wild Geese to the smaller Ducks and Waders, Grouse, and Sage 

 Fowl. On the extensive sheep ranges in the West, they are said to be occa- 

 sionally quite destructive to young lambs. 



Capt. Piatt M. Thorne, Twenty-second Infantry, U. S. Army, writes me: 

 "On December 10, I saw a Golden Eagle brought in by an Indian who had 

 shot it about 20 miles south of Fort Keogh, Montana. He told me, 'I had 

 badly crippled a black-tailed deer just before dark, and as soon as it was 

 light the next morniiig I started to look for it. I saw this bird hovering prett}" 

 high up, and all at once drop down like a stone, and I heard the deer bleat. 

 I was not far off and saw that it had struck its talons in the deer's flanks, 

 and seemed to force it to the ground. As soon as the deer was down it 

 changed its hold to the throat. Judging by its motions it was choking and 

 tearing it. When I got close up, the deer was dead, and the bird stood on 

 the ground with head stretched out, wings extended, the tijDs touching the 

 ground. It seemed ready to spring if the deer moved. It appeared to have 

 little fear of me and acted as if it meant to fight.' Of course I cannot vouch 

 for this story, but I know the Indian well and have no reason to doubt it." 



Birds are usually well plucked, but the smaller mammals are eaten hair 

 and all. They are exceedingly cleanly at all times, and bathe frequently; 

 mine took their bath daily, as soon as fresh water was given them, but while 

 apparently fond of this for bathing purposes, I have seldom seen them drink. 



One March morning in the spring of 1878, I was hunting on a small pla- 

 teau in the Rattlesnake Canon, near Camp Harney, Oregon, over which a 

 number of large bowlders were scattered (that had tumbled down from a high, 

 basaltic cliff above), and in passing around one of the larger ones, I suddenly 

 came face to face with one of these birds feasting on a large yellow-bellied 

 marmot (Ardomijs flaviventer), which it had just caught. We were within 3 

 feet of each other before either of us was aware of it, and it would be hard 

 to tell which was the most surprised. As the bird was one of a pair that fur- 

 nished me regularly with a handsome set of eggs each year I did not further 

 disturb it. It made no hostile demonstrations, notwithstanding I had spoiled 

 its breakfast, which it left behind, and was soon out of sight, much to the 

 delight of several Magpies which had been watching from a safe distance for 

 a chance to pick up such stray morsels as the Eagle might leave behind. 

 As these lairds are usually only seen in pairs at all times of the year, I am 

 inclined to believe that they remain mated for life, notwithstanding the fact 



