328 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 
glance, on an immeasurable expanse of forests, fields, lakes, and 
ocean, deep below him, he appears indifferent to the little localities of 
change of seasons; as, in a few minutes, he can pass from summer to 
winter, from the lower to the higher regions of the atmosphere, the 
abode of eternal cold, and thence descend, at will, to the torrid, or the 
arctic regions of the earth. He is, therefore, found, at all seasons, in 
the countries he inhabits ; but prefers such places as have been men- 
tioned above, from the great partiality he has for fish. 
In procuring these, he displays, in a very singular manner, the 
genius and energy of his character, which is fierce, contemplative, 
daring, and tyrannical, — attributes not exerted but on particular occa- 
sions, but, when put forth, overpowering all opposition. Elevated on 
the high dead limb of some gigantic tree that commands a wide view 
of the neighboring shore and ocean, he seems calmly to contemplate 
the motions of the various feathered tribes that pursue their busy avo- 
cations below, —the snow-white Gulls slowly winnowing the air; 
the busy Tringe coursing along the sands; trains of Ducks stream- 
ing over the surface; silent and watchful Cranes, intent and wading ; 
clamorous Crows; and all the winged multitudes that subsist by the 
bounty of this vast liquid magazine of nature. High over all these 
hovers one, whose action instantly arrests his whole attention. By his 
wide curvature of wing, and sudden suspension in air, he knows him 
to be the Fish Hawk, settling over some devoted victim of the deep. 
His eye kindles at the sight, and, balancing himself, with half opened 
wings, on the branch, he watches the result. Down, rapid as an 
arrow from heaven, descends the distant object of his attention, the 
roar of its wings reaching the ear as it disappears in the deep, making 
the surges foam around. At this moment, the eager looks of the 
Eagle are all ardor; and, levelling his neck for flight, he sees the 
Fish Hawk once more emerge, struggling with his prey, and mounting 
in the air with screams of exultation. These are the signal for our 
hero, who, launching into the air, mstantly gives chase, and soon 
gains on the Fish Hawk; each exerts his utmost to mount above the 
other, displaying in these rencontres the most elegant and sublime 
aérial 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 execration, 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 
light brownish yellow, each feather marked along the centre with blackish brown ; 
wing-coverts, light grayish brown, those next the body becoming darker, and ap- 
proaching the color of the back; primary quills, dark brown, deeper on their inner 
webs ; secondaries, lighter, and on their outer webs, of nearly the same light tint 
as their coverts ; tail, uniform dark brown ; anterior tibial feathers, grayish brown. 
“Length, three feet seven inches ; extent of wings, ten feet two inches ; bill, 
three and a quarter inches along the back ; along the gap, which commences di- 
rectly under the eye, to the tip of the lower mandible, three and one-third, and one 
and three-quarters deep ; length of wing when folded, thirty-two inches; length 
of tail, fifteen inches ; tarsus, four and a half; middle, four and three quarters ; 
hind claw, two and a half. 
“ The two stomachs, large and baggy ; their contents in the individual described 
were fish, fishes’ scales, and entraiis of various kinds intestines lerge, but thir 
and transparent.’ — Ep. 
