(32 WHITE-HEADED OR BALD EAGLE. 



the month of April. The parents did not think fit to come within gun-shot 

 of the tree while the axe was at work. 



The attachment of the parents to the young is very great, when the latter 

 are yet of a small size; and to ascend to the nest at this time would be dan- 

 gerous. But as the young advance, and, after being able to take wing and 

 provide for themselves, are not disposed to fly off, the old birds turn them 

 out, and beat them away from them. They return to the nest, however, to 

 roost, or sleep on the branches immediately near it, for several weeks after. 

 They are fed most abundantly while under the care of the parents, which 

 procure for them ample supplies of fish, either accidentally cast ashore, or 

 taken from the Fish Hawk, together with rabbits, squirrels, young lambs, 

 pigs, opossums, or racoons. Every thing that comes in the way is relished 

 by the young family, as by the old birds. 



The young birds begin to breed the following spring, not always in pairs 

 of the same age, as I have several times observed one of these birds in brown 

 plumage mated with a full-coloured bird, which had the head and tail pure 

 white. I once shot a pair of this kind, when the brown bird (the young one) 

 proved to be the female. 



This species requires at least four years before it attains the full beauty of 

 its plumage when kept in confinement. I have known two instances in 

 which the white of the head did not make its appearance until the sixth 

 spring. It is impossible for me to say how much sooner this state of perfec- 

 tion is attained, when the bird is at full liberty, although I should suppose it 

 to be at least one year, as the bird is capable of breeding the first spring after 

 birth. 



The weight of Eagles of this species varies considerably. In the males, 

 it is from six to eight pounds, and in the females from eight to twelve. 

 These birds are so attached to particular districts, where they have first made 

 their nest, that they seldom spend a night at any distance from the latter, 

 and often resort to its immediate neighbourhood. Whilst asleep, they emit 

 a loud hissing sort of snore, which is heard at the distance of a hundred 

 yards, when the weather is perfectly calm. Yet, so light is their sleep, that 

 the cracking of a stick under the foot of a person immediately wakens them. 

 When it is attempted to smoke them while thus roosted and asleep, they 

 start up and sail off without uttering any sound, but return next evening to 

 the same spot. 



Before steam navigation commenced on our western rivers, these Eagles 

 were extremely abundant there, particularly in the lower parts of the Ohio, 

 the Mississippi, and the adjoining streams. I have seen hundreds while 

 going down from the mouth of the Ohio to New Orleans, when it was not at 

 all difficult to shoot them. Now, however, their number is considerably 



