THE ORNITHOLOGISTS’ AND OOLOGISTS’ SEMI-ANNUAL. 17 
fleeting appetite of the daintiest epicure with her biscuit, honey, milk, 
ham and eggs, Pompey said: “Mistah Myahs, ’pears like de people 
tink dat you am gwine to take our Eagle’s nest, and dey want me to 
tell youh dat dey wili tam and fedder youh if youh do. Foh it would 
bring on a plague on us if hit was destroyed.” 
I was thunderstruck ; but I might have suspected it among such a 
superstitious, ignorant people. However, I managed to stammer out, 
*‘Oh ! you are mistaken, Uncle Pompey, for I am just sketching the 
nest.’ This appeared to satisfy them ; but how to get the nest was 
the next perplexing question. 
Two days before the week ended, I shot the male while he was 
perched on a tree, watching an Osprey fishing. To prepare the skin 
was the work of an hour, and rolling it up carefully, I concealed it on 
my person, thereby running the gauntlet and succeeding in getting it 
safely locked in my satchel. 
The only way I could conjure up to get the eggs was by a night 
attack ; so leaving my window up on retiring. I laid down to rest until 
I was sure Pompey and Dinah were asleep. I had not long to wait, 
for about ten o’clock sounds came issuing from their chamber which 
would remind the unitiated of the starting of some heavy freight-train. 
Carefully and noislessly taking my climbers, a bag which I had lined 
with cotton for the eggs, and my rifle, I started for the tree. 
The night was as dark as one would wish for ; but in my stay I had 
become so familiar with the surroundings that I easily found the nest. 
Putting the rifle against a tree, the bag in my pocket, and the climbers 
on, I commenced the ascent. The tree would have proved by day 
almost inaccessible to the daring collector ; but the thought of the val- 
uable treasure beyond and its benefit to science nerved me to the deed. 
Nearly exhausted, I finally reached the first limbs, where I recruited 
my weakened strength. Upon again starting upwards, I heard the fe- 
male leave the nest with a “swish.”” With agonizing suspense I list- 
ened, thinking that perhaps on her hasty exit she would push out the 
eggs, owing to the shallowness of the nest ; but nothing dropped. At 
last I came in reach of the nest ; clutched and felt one, two—“Great 
Scott !’—three warm eggs. Wasacollector everso blest? Iamsure 
if it was not for the slenderness of my perch, seventy-five feet from 
terra firma, and fearing of the consequences arising from awakening 
the natives, I should have fairly howled with delight. 
