BALD EAGLE. 211 



were accused of carrying off young chickens, but no authenticated 

 instance was known. 



Two years ago, I saw one that had been killed at Hamilton 

 Beach under circumstances which made it appear that his reasoning 

 powers were not equal to those of the hunter. 



It was in January, the bay was firmly frozen over, and a keen, 

 strong wind was blowing from the west. Half a mile out from the 

 shore sat a Bald Eagle, tearing at the carcase of a small quadruped, 

 which was frozen into the ice. There was no cover or chance of 

 approach, for his view was open all round, and he seemed to enjoy 

 his feast in safety. 



Willie Smith, one of the Beach boys, looked on him with longing 

 eyes, and his ingenuity was equal to the occasion. Carefully examin- 

 ing his gun, he set sail with a comrade in his iceboat, and by short 

 tacks worked his way up in shelter of the shore to a point about a 

 mile from where the Eagle sat, but directly to windward. Then the 

 tackling was examined and set, and away went the boat at a rate at 

 which only iceboats before the wind can go. 



The Eagle must have seen the boat, but probably had little idea 

 of the rate at which it was approaching. When it was still a good 

 way off he got up to fly, but it is necessary for such birds to rise 

 against the wind, and in doing this he went directly to meet his 

 jidversary. In vain he tried to sheer off to the right, still flying low. 

 The boat was on his track at once, and for some seconds it looked as 

 if they w ould pass each other about forty yards apart, but there was 

 a flash, a crack, and the Eagle fell on the ice. The boat went 

 tearing on, taking a long sweep, and then came round to the spot 

 «here lay the bird, which was picked up and brought off in triumph. 



It takes at any time a quick eye and a steady hand to bring down 

 a bird on the wing, but the peculiarity in this case was that both 

 the hunter and his game were moving rapidly, and the hunter per- 

 haps the more quickly of the two. 



