AN INCUBATING BALD EAGLE 

 Photographed from life by C. William Beebe 



Notes from the New York Zoological Society 



I. ENTERPRISING EAGLES 



At the beginning of winter I placed a 

 pair of adult Bald Eagles in the large flying 

 cage of the New York Zoological Park, and 

 they showed their appreciation of their semi- 

 freedom by commencing housekeeping at 

 once. They collected a quantity of sticks 

 and grass around a small hollow in the 

 ground near the center of the cage, and 

 after lining the cavity with moss, the nest 

 was considered finished. Both birds took 

 part in its construction, and from the con- 

 tinual chuckling and screaming, thor- 

 oughly enjoyed their work. Eagles usually 

 nest in trees, and these birds placed the 

 nesting material around the roots of several 

 saplings, the stems of which, protruding 

 through the sticks and moss, look not un- 

 like the top branches of a tall tree. Natur- 

 ally the next thing to be thought of was 

 eggs, but this pair of birds had original 

 ideas, and intended, for a time at least, 

 merely to play at housekeeping. A good- 

 sized stone was brought from another part 

 of the cage and placed in the nest, and the 



work of hatching began. The male and 

 female Eagles sit on the nest on alternate 

 days, and the bird not so engaged is always 

 perched on a log near by, on guard. 



The temperament of the birds has under- 

 gone a complete change. When first placed 

 in the cage they were easily caught and 

 seldom offered resistance. Now one can- 

 not approach to within twenty feet of the 

 nest without being attacked by one or both 

 Eagles. When they rush forward, one on 

 each side, and strike with beak and uplifted 

 feet, It is no easy matter to escape unharmed, 

 as I found when trying to photograph 

 them, their talons reaching the skin every 

 time, clothing and shoes affording little or 

 no protection. 



What the outcome of this nesting attempt 

 will be I do not know, but I hope the birds 

 will soon lose faith in the stone and deposit 

 two or three eggs. The fact that they are 

 from Florida doubtless accounts for this 

 early attempt at nesting. — C. William 

 Beebe, Assistant Curator of Birds. 



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