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THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 



Falco Chrysaetos, Linn. 



PLATE CLXXXI. 



In the early part of February 1833, while at Boston in Massachusetts, 

 I chanced to call on Mr Greenwood, the proprietor of the Museum of 

 that city, who informed me that he had purchased a very fine Eagle, the 

 name of which he was desirous of knowing. The bird was produced, 

 and as I directed my eye towards its own deep, bold and stern one, I re- 

 cognised it at once as belonging to the species whose habits I have here 

 to describe, and I determined to obtain possession of it. Mr Green- 

 wood, who is a very kind as well as talented person, being asked if he 

 would part with the noble bird, readily answered in the affirmative, and 

 left to me to determine its value, which I accordingly did, and carried off 

 my purchase. His report of the manner in which the royal prisoner had 

 been secured, was as follows : — " The man from which I bought it had it 

 in the same cage it is now in, on the top of his market-waggon, and when 

 I asked its price, said that the Eagle had been caught in a spring-trap 

 set for foxes on the white mountains of New Hampshire. One morning 

 the trap was missing, but on searching for it, it was at last discovered 

 more than a mile from its original place, and held the bird by one of its 

 toes only. The eagle flew about through the woods for several hundred 

 yards, but was at last with difficulty secured. This took place a few 

 days ago.*" 



The Eagle was immediately conveyed to my place of residence, cover- 

 ed by a blanket, to save him, in his adversity, from the gaze of the people. 

 I placed the cage so as to affijrd me a good view of the captive, and I 

 must acknowledge that as I watched his eye, and observed his looks of 

 proud disdain, I felt towards him not so generously as I ought to have done. 

 At times I was half inclined to restore to him his freedom, that he might 

 return to his native mountains ; nay, I several times thought how pleas- 

 ing it would be to see him spread out his broad wings and sail away to- 

 wards the rocks of his wild haunts ; but then, reader, some one seemed 

 to whisper that I ought to take the portrait of the magnificent bird, and 



