leveling his neck for flight, he sees the 

 fish hawk once more emerge, struggling 

 with its prey, and mounting in the air 

 with screams of exultation. These are 

 the signal for our hero, who, launching 

 into the air, instantly gives chase, and 

 soon gains on the fish hawk ; each exerts 

 his utmost to mount above the other, dis- 

 playing in these rencontres the most ele- 

 gant and sublime aerial evolutions. The 

 unencumbered Eagle rapidly advances, 

 and is just on the point of reaching his 

 opponent, when, with a sudden scream, 

 probably of despair and honest execra- 

 tion, the latter drops his fish ; the Eagle, 

 poising himself for a moment, as if to 

 take a more certain aim, descends like a 

 whirlwind, snatches it in his grasp ere 

 it reaches the water, and bears his ill- 

 gotten booty silently away to the woods. 



"These predatory attacks and defensive 

 manoeuvres of the Eagle and fish hawk 

 are matters of daily observation along 

 the whole of our seaboard, from Georgia 

 to New England, and frequently excite 

 great interest in the spectators. Sym- 

 pathy, however, on this as on most other 

 occasions, generally sides with the hon- 

 est and laborious sufferer, in opposition 

 to the attacks of power, injustice, and 

 rapacity ; qualities for which our hero is 

 so generally notorious, and which, in his 

 superior, man, are certainly detestable. 

 As for the feelings of the poor fish, they 

 seem altogether out of the question." 



The Bald Eagle is sometimes used as a 



pet, especially by sailors, who surround 

 it with superstitious attributes, one of 

 them being that the ship which carries 

 one O'f these birds cannot be lost or dam- 

 aged. The American Indian venerated 

 the Eagle (although it is not known that 

 the Bald Eagle was thought more of than 

 the golden eagle) and ornamented his 

 head and other parts of his person with 

 its feathers, as well as his pipes and his 

 arrows. If taken when young it makes 

 an interesting and comparatively harm- 

 less pet. 



In regard to the value of the Bald 

 Eagle as a destroyer of noxious animals 

 as against its proclivity for foraging 

 among the farmers' flocks, Mr. A. K. 

 Fisher writes as follows in his "Hawks 

 and Owls of the United States in Their 

 Relation to Agriculture:" "What we 

 have said in reference to the golden eagle 

 applies equally well to the bird under 

 consideration, namely, that over the 

 greater part of the country where the 

 natural food, fish in the present case, i: 

 abundant it is a harmless bird and shoul< 

 be protected; while in sections where i 

 is injurious to sheep or other domesti 

 cated animals it should not be allowed to 

 become numerous." 



In addition to its other food, it i 

 largely a carrion eater, rivaling the buz 

 zard in this respect in many localities 

 The Bald Eagle is said to be very long 

 lived, attaining as much as one hundred 

 and fifty years. 



Collins Thurber. 



THE SEA-GULL. 



Through opal skies, the Sea-gull flies 



On strong sea-pinions borne. 

 A winged star, he sights afar 



The pathways of the morn. 



Serene his flight, no fears affright 



His bouyant, storm-proof breast. 

 He saileth white, a gleam of light 



Against the crimson West. 



No winds can swerve the silver curve 



That arcs the heavens for miles, 

 When seaward bound, his home is found 

 On far, lone, mist-veiled isles. 



—Mrs. Merrill E. Gates. 

 m 



