THE OOLOGIST. 



eggs I said "dont shoot at all. This 

 is the first case of this kind I ever saw 

 and she may lay 3 next year," conse- 

 quently that eagle's life was spared by 

 her having laid three eggs. I put 

 them in my pocket and began to de- 

 send when Minnie says, "wait and I'll 

 get a picture with you up the tree" 

 which she did. This nest was the 

 smallest I ever saw and I'm inclined 

 to think its the first season used. It 

 was built of coarse sticks, was about 

 4% feet across but only about 2% feet 

 deep; small depression only and lined 

 with few fish bones and some moss. 

 Its only about 40 feet high in pine tree 

 and in an ideal spot. We felt well re- 

 paid for our days work after all. 



The next trip my boy was not along. 

 I had heard of a nest some 13 miles 

 away in a large pine tree along a cy- 

 press swamp. I was obliged to go 

 alone that day so I took the train and 

 had conductor let me off in a sort of a 

 paradise place for game. I sauntered 

 along in the direction I had been told 

 and finally I discovered a fine nest 

 but no sight of a bird near. I kept on 

 my course and finally I saw one come 

 to greet me, they always do, they seem 

 to like me. When I was at the tree, 9 

 feet in circumference and no limb for 

 fully forty feet, wind blowing about 

 15 miles an hour, I wished for com- 

 pany. Well, I put climbers on and 

 started up. My hat blew off when 20 

 feet up; my coat was fastened on or it 

 would have gone also. It was the 

 hardest climb I ever had but I made it 

 and was rewarded only by the sight of 

 a pair of little downy young about one 

 week old. I left them of course to do 

 me service later on. This nest was 

 some 60 feet high; 6 feet across; 4 feet 

 deep and was an old one; doubtless 

 has been used many years. 



It was my first visit in that section 

 and it looked so fine about there I 

 thought I would continue along the 

 swamp and edge of timber as it was 



early in the day and I might find 

 another nest or jump up some game. 

 When about % mile away I saw an 

 Eagle chasing some buzzards at a live- 

 ly rate about one mile distant. I said 

 at once "that means another eagle's 

 nest and buzzards are there trying to 

 steal the fish which are usually found 

 on the edge of nearly every nest." I 

 made straight for it. On my way I 

 put in some shells of No. 2, thinkiug 

 I would shoot an eagle for my boy as 

 this was a long distance from any- 

 where, but really if there is one thing 

 I dislike to shoot, its the Bald Eagle. 

 I have two, male and female, finest 

 specimens I ever saw which I shot and 

 had mounted three years ago. Well, 

 I jollied alorg quietly watching their 

 manouvers quite interestedly when to 

 my surprise up went about five or six 

 Jacksnipe. "I dont want to scare the 

 eagle so I'll bag some of them on my 

 return" was my thought. When this 

 was running through my mind up 

 jumped two fine deer, only 25 yards 

 away. We were short of meat at home 

 and had eagies so I got the drop on 

 one fine doe and saw the other run 

 away not daring to shoot another as I 

 did not know how to get the one home 

 already shot. I almost forgot my 

 eagles nest only 200 yards away. I 

 dressed my deer however first, took a 

 breath and up to the nest I went. I 

 got a nice set and didn't disturb nest 

 or birds. Minnie and I went as near 

 as possible in launch a few days later 

 and took picture of nest, having to 

 rough it pretty well to get there 

 through swamps and tall saw-grass 

 shooting one alligator on the way, and 

 for a lady to get along on one of these 

 trips its no "boys play." By-the-way 

 this is the picture shown herewith 

 with eagle perched near nest, quite 

 a thing to get. If you don't believe it 

 try it. This nest is 40 feet high, in 

 pine tree, about 6 feet across, 4 feet 

 deep and was built as all others are of 



