^THB # OOLOGIST,^ 



VOL. vn. 



ALBION, N. Y., APRIL, 1890. 



NO. 4 



Caged Eagles. 



While ou a deer hunt at a lumber 

 camp in the northern peninsula (Iron 

 Co.) I collected a few birds of which I 

 liad need, thus calling the attention of 

 Mr. Betliel Bristol, sealer of the camp, 

 to ray ornithological tastes. He very 

 kindly took considerable interest in me, 

 promised to try to secure one or move 

 of the Ravens that are found there and 

 proposed that we set a trap for owls. 

 Of course I assented and we immedi- 

 ately set about it. Cutting several stout 

 poles about eight feet high and driving 

 them into the soft mud of the river, we 

 adorned the' tops with steel traps suit- 

 ably baited Avith the remains of an un- 

 fortunate Canada Jay. 



Luck was against us during ray stay, 

 but some time after I had returned 

 home, Mr. Bristol wrote that he had 

 caught a line Bald Eagle, asking if I 

 knew of anybody who would like a pet 

 of that description. You may be sure 

 I lost no time in announcing my entire 

 willingness to become its owner. 



On New Year's morning the box ar- 

 rived and I was, to say tlie least, 

 somewhat surpi'ised to find, not one, 

 but two fine Eagles. One was a typical 

 "Baldy" and was immediately dubbed 

 Bethel, in honor of his captor. The 

 otlier was A'ery large and at first we 

 took him to bp a young White Head', 

 but after sufficient examiaation of both 

 him and other specimens and after sev- 

 eral local ornithologists had passed 

 their opinions, we concluded he was a 

 Golden Eagle. His tarsi are feathered, 

 his bill is different in shape and the 

 build of his claws and body is heavier 

 than that of the Bald Eagle and his tail 

 has a very perceptible ring. 



But to resume — the first care was to 

 find a suitable place to keep them. At 



first we chained them to perches in the 

 barn, but after witnessing several es- 

 capes by breaking the chains, we came 

 to the conclusion that it was "no go." 

 After a few days we finished a ca:ge, 

 completely encircling a tree, in which, 

 after severe struggle, Ave safely en- 

 sconced the birds. 



Poor Bethel; from the first he 

 drooped and after a week of miserable 

 existence, he was found one morning, 

 dead. Upon skinning, we found that 

 he had burst a vein under his wing. He 

 is now mounted and stands guard over 

 a case of smaller birds. The Golden 

 Eagle progressed finely and, before 

 many days were past, we were A*ery 

 glad Ave had one, not two, live eagles, 

 for the amount of meat the one de- 

 voured, AA^as sufficient to engender 

 ■serious alarm in our minds. This Avas 

 Avithout foundation hoAvever, as after a 

 Aveek or so he seemed to become "filled 

 up" and declined to eat oftener than 

 once in three or four days. 



As the nights Avere naturally 

 somcAvhat cold, Ave provided him 

 with an old dog kennel Avell 

 filled Avith straw. Into this he 

 retii'ed as evening fell. When ap- 

 proached, he stretches out his neck and 

 utters a loud, cackling cry. When a 

 rat or other small animal is introduced 

 into his cage, he pounces upon it and, 

 taking one end in each of his poAverful 

 cl lAVS, he tears it apart apparently with- 

 out effort. The pieces are then SAval- 

 loAved Avhole. 



On Avarin days he delights in a bath, 

 scattering the Avater in all directions, 

 eA'er and anon clucking in a satisfied 

 manner. 



The love of liberty is still strong 

 Avithin him. One day a Bald Eagle 

 appeared sailing through the sky. At 

 once, and Avithout hesitation. Jumbo, as 



