196 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 
personal experience, does not doubt its capavity 
and inclinction to do so. The white-headed 
eagle, which seldom frequents the mountainous 
districts, preferring the lowlands or sea-shore, is 
a constant resident in the United States, and to 
be met with in every part. It is capable of 
existing for a long period, even twenty days, it 
is said, without food. Its nest, usually placed 
on the tallest trees, is also found on rocks, It 
manifests a strong attachment to certain local- 
ities. 
Audubon expresses his regret that this bird 
skould have been chosen as the emblem of his 
country, in accordance with the sentiment of 
Franklin, who, in one of his letters, thus gives 
his opinion, “I wish,” he says, “the white-headed 
eagle had not been selected as the representative 
of our country. He is a bird of bad moral char- 
acter, he does not get his living honestly; you 
may have seen him perched on some dead tree, 
where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches 
the labour of the fishing hawk, and when that 
diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is 
bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate 
and young ones, the eagle pursues him and takes 
it from him.” 
With all this injustice he is never in good case, 
but, like those among men who live by sharping 
and robbing, is generally poor. 
