THE LIFE ABOUT THE NEST 



In the case of the Bald Eagle, the young of which do 

 not fly until they are many weeks old, a most sub- 

 stantial structure is provided. 



It was on the twentieth of January, a number of 

 years ago, that the writer was first delighted by the 

 sight of a Bald Eagle's nest. It was in an enormous 

 pine tree growing in a swamp in central Florida, and 

 being ambitious to examine its contents, I determined 

 to climb to the great eyrie in the topmost crotch of 

 the tree, one hundred and thirty-one feet above the 

 earth. By means of climbing-irons and a rope that 

 passed around the tree and around my body, I slowly 

 ascended, nailing cleats for support as 1 advanced. 

 After two hours of toil the nest was reached, but an- 

 other twenty minutes were required to tear aside 

 enough of the structure to permit climbing up one of 

 the limbs on which it rested. In doing this there 

 were brought to view several layers of decayed twigs, 

 pine straw, and fish bones, showing that the birds 

 had been using the nest for many years. Season 

 after season the huge structure had been enlarged by 

 [31] 



