70 



THE OOLOGLST. 



We wish to say a word against the indis- 

 criminate collecting of "sets." We are 

 pained to read in our Oology papers that 

 some collector has taken five sets of bine- 

 birds' eggs, seven of the phoebe, ten of the 

 rufled grouse, etc., in one season. All 

 true collectors should lift their voices in 

 unison against this wholesale destruction 

 of our birds. E. G. W. , 



Three Rivers, Mass. 



The Bald Eagle. 



This splendid bird inhabits the whole of 

 North America at large, though in -some 

 parts only an occasional specimen is seen, 

 while in more favored localities among the 

 huge forests and inaccessible cliffs of the 

 Adirondack? or the region around Niagara 

 • Falls it is a comparatively common species. 



Often while on a hunting or fishing 

 expedition among the mountnitis not many 

 miles distant from this village, I have come 

 upon several of these birds at once, playing 

 about over the surface of some small lake, 

 at times seeming to hang motionless on 

 their broad pinions, and then risiug in great 

 circles until in the blue space they looked 

 no larger than sparrows and finally disap- 

 peared altogether. 



Many times I have observed one seated 

 upon some tall tree and endeavored to 

 creep near enough for a shot, but always 

 without success, for I could never even get 

 within rifle range before the wary old bird 

 was upward and away, leaving a very much 

 disappointed fellow to hurl maledictions 

 upon him as he departed. 



However, I shall try again this season in 

 the hope that at last I shall obtain this 

 valuable addition to my cabinet. 



In regard to the habits of this bird, in 

 spite of his fine appearance and great size, 

 he is very lazy and an arrant coward. For 

 it is a well known fact- that he habitually 

 robs the Osprey of his hard earned booty, 

 and as to his cowardice, the little king bird, 

 smaller than ,a robin, attacks him success- 

 fully and drives him from his precincts. 



The average length of these birds is three 

 feet, and the expanse of the wings seven 



feet, while the wings are unusually broad 

 and strong, giving great capacity for swift 

 and long continued flight. 



The head, neck and tail are pure white, 

 the rest of the plumage a deep brown and 

 the eyes are of a straw color, thus giving the 

 bird a beautiful appearance. The colois 

 are the same in the male as in the female, 

 but somewhat duller, and as he is at least 

 three inches shorter, he is much less for- 

 midable looking than his mate. 



Nest building begins in this locality 

 early in March, and the eggs are generally 

 hatched by the tenth of April. A tall, dead 

 stub with no branches is chesen as a suit- 

 able site for their home. 



Indeed, I have one in mind now where 

 much to my chagrin, the birds rear their 

 young in security every Spring. However, 

 I would like to see the oologist who could 

 climb that tree ; it is six feet thick at the 

 bass, and rises for seventy feet without a 

 limb. The top has been broken of in some 

 great storm and the Eagles' nest is placed on 

 the very pinnacle, literally capping it as it 

 were. 



I have stood at the bottom and looked up 

 with longing eyes, but I have never dared 

 to attempt the ascent, and. have at lrst 

 come to the conclusion that I never wil 1 . 



I do not think that I am a coward in re- 

 gard to climbing trees generally, but I know 

 when I am beaten, and I am willing to give 

 some other fellow a chance. 



The nest of this species is built of large 

 sticks, limbs of trees, sods, cornstalks, and 

 in fact, anything that they can carry off. 

 The first year it is not so very large, but a 

 new layer is -added eveiy season, until it 

 reaches a considerable size. The one I 

 mentioned, I should say was about five feet 

 high. 



The eggs are two in number, about the 

 size of a goose egg, and varying in color 

 from white to a bluish tint. 



The young are covered with soft fuzzy 

 dow^n, and have light blue eyes. The down, 

 white at first, soon grows darker, the 

 feathers appear, and at the end of the first 

 year the eyes are a dark hazel. When three 

 years have passed, the white coloring upon 



