58 WHITE-HEADED OR BALD EAGLE. 



At times, when these Eagles, sailing in search of prey, discover a Goose, 

 a Duck, or a Swan, that has alighted on the water, they accomplish its 

 destruction in a manner that is worthy of your attention. The Eagles, well 

 aware that water-fowl have it in their power to dive at their approach, and 

 thereby elude their attempts upon them, ascend in the air in opposite direc- 

 tions over the lake or river, on which they have observed the object which 

 they are desirous of possessing. Both Eagles reach a certain height, imme- 

 diately after which one of them glides with great swiftness towards the prey; 

 the latter, meantime, aware of the Eagle's intention, dives the moment 

 before he reaches the spot. The pursuer then rises in the air, and is met by 

 its mate, which glides toward the water-bird, that has just emerged to breathe, 

 and forces it to plunge again beneath the surface, to escape the talons of this 

 second assailant. The first Eagle is now poising itself in the place where its 

 mate formerly was, and rushes anew to force the quarry to make another 

 plunge. By thus alternately gliding, in rapid and often repeated rushes, 

 over the ill-fated bird, they soon fatigue it, when it stretches out its neck, 

 swims deeply, and makes for the shore, in the hope of concealing itself 

 among the rank weeds. But this is of no avail, for the Eagles follow it in 

 all its motions, and the moment it approaches the margin, one of them darts 

 upon it, and kills it in an instant, after which they divide the spoil. 



During spring and summer, the White-headed Eagle, to procure sustenance, 

 follows a different course, and one much less suited to a bird apparently so 

 well able to supply itself without interfering with other plunderers. No 

 sooner does the Fish-Hawk make its appearance along our Atlantic shores, 

 or ascend our numerous and large rivers, than the Eagle follows it, and, like 

 a selfish oppressor, robs it of the hard-earned fruits of its labour. Perched 

 on some tall summit, in view of the ocean, or of some water-course, he 

 watches every motion of the Osprey while on wing. When the latter rises 

 from the water, with a fish in its grasp, forth rushes the Eagle in pursuit. 

 He mounts above the Fish-Hawk, and threatens it by actions well understood, 

 when the latter, fearing perhaps that its life is in danger, drops its prey. In 

 an instant, the Eagle, accurately estimating the rapid descent of the fish, 

 closes his wings, follows it with the swiftness of thought, and the next 

 moment grasps it. The prize is carried off in silence to the woods, and 

 assists in feeding the ever-hungry brood of the marauder. 



This bird now and then procures fish himself, by pursuing them in the 

 shallows of small creeks. I have witnessed several instances of this in the 

 Perkiomen Creek in Pennsylvania, where, in this manner, I saw one of 

 them secure a number of Red-jins, by wading briskly through the water, and 

 striking at them with his bill. I have also observed a pair scrambling over 

 the ice of a frozen pond, to get at some fish below, but without success. 



