VOL. VI. 



ALBION, N. Y., SEP., 1889. 



NO. 9 



"Old Abe," Jr. 



In penisiiig number ai'tev nuiuber of 

 the OoLOGiST I see so many things 

 about "Birds and Bird Pets that arc in- 

 teresting, that I am tempted to steal a 

 fc!w moments from mj \\'ork in v^aiting 

 a small article in n^gard to "Our Pet 

 (Haliactns Ledcoocplialn.s) Old Alie, Jr., " 

 luinied in honor Of the grand old bird 

 carried through our late Civil War by 

 the gallant 8th Wis. Inf. It may not 

 l)e very interesting to some of my read- 

 ers, to others it maybe, as it fully shows 

 (as I have had ampU; time to ol)serve) 

 the different ehangi'S of color "svhicli the 

 Bald Eagle ])asses tlirough, aiul from 

 which so many controversies arise in 

 regard to the many A-arieties of Eagles, 

 such as Golden Eagle, Black Eagle, 

 Gray Eagle, Bald Eagle, etc., etc., but 

 which Dr. ftlliott Coues settles A'ery 

 satisfactory in "New England Bird 

 Life," page 138-4, vol. 2. Eroiii my 

 note book I take the following record: 

 Old Alie, jr., was shot on the Des Moines 

 River, near Eddyville, Iowa, March 29, 

 1887, by one, J. Williams, a noted hunt- 

 er of that place. His left wing was 

 broken at elljow joint, and was ampu- 

 tated as soon as l^rought into town, 

 from whicli operation he nearly bled 

 to death. Two days later he had im- 

 proved so much that he was purchased' 

 l)y the Avriter for the small sum of $1. 

 He was undoul)tedl,y one year old at 

 that time, as he was then a very dark 

 gray Avith dark brdifei eyes and dark, 

 horned-colored bill. 'TA.Iso gray through 

 the season of '87, liut several sliades 

 lighter by Dei'cm'x'r, tlic same yt'ar. 

 His bill and eyes l)a\'e become much 

 lighter, and his head almost wiiite, but 

 no signs of any Avhite in liis tail. The 

 This season, '89, his head has turned 

 jUniost clenv white, his eyes ;ind bill 



briglit yellow, and a#tlie present time 

 he is moulting and white feathers begin 

 to shoAv in his tail. Think that next 

 spring he Avill come out iifuUJicdged 

 Bald Eagle. 



When I ha.d had hiui about six weeks 

 I a.rranged for a A'isil to JMiiuu'sota, and 

 something must be (hnie with Abe. So 

 I built a strong lalh fence, about 2 rods 

 square to keej) him in, ])u! in shelti'r 

 and ])erch. When I let liim out (;f the 

 big box he Avas in. I will ne^cr forget 

 the l(jok in his eyes. They jn.st fairly 

 sparkled, Avould look sk.vward, Oh, so 

 longingly, then would snake a I'l'eak to 

 go, and you can readily guess what Ihe 

 eonse(|uenees A\'ere with one \',ing gone, 

 or part of it. SeA'cra.l times he made 

 llie a.ttempt, luit adlinvaiii; liut those 

 eyes said ])lainer than avoihIs, "Did I 

 ])ossess the whole earth, I A\'o!!ld gi\'e 

 it quickl,y to Ix; possessed of my lost 

 wing again." Well I thought to cat( h 

 him and put him in the yard pre{)ared 

 for him, so took a.n old apron and 

 thought to throw it over hiu) and then 

 gi'ab him up, but if some of my readers 

 had seen the outcome tlie,y would have 

 lauglied in sjjite of themselA'es Quick- 

 er than a Hash lie was on his I'ack and 

 as the apron struck him, well, talk 

 a.bou.t old ladies tearing carjiet rugs, 

 they could have found them tliert^ in 

 less time tlian it to tell it. 



I then put a stick down to liim Avhic-h 

 he instantly grabbed- I raised him uj) 

 l)y this and ]mt him owv into Ihe 3'ard. 

 While I Avas gone to Minnesoba, he got 

 out, and, as boys sometimes say, "Took 

 in the Town," a^iul like to liave got 

 drowne(l in \i rain-water bai'rel, but 

 was lielped out and maile l)a-ck home to 

 th(^ back corner of our lot Avlvre there 

 is a Ijig plum tree which has a leaning 

 trunk, managed to climb to the top of 

 it where he crM.lh.l take in the seeiies, 



