28 NORTH AMERICAN" EAGLES. 



times the eagles refrain entirely from a diet of game birds. Further- 

 more, since at this time the grouse themselves have young or eggs, 

 the death of the parent birds means usually the loss of the brood, and 

 this would amount at the lowest calculation to double the number 

 of adults (probably much more) or 261,000 young. Adding to this 

 the adults, there results a total of 391,500 — a number that is aston- 

 ishingly large, yet doubtless well within the truth. The destruction 

 of young is of course not as detrimental as that of an equal num- 

 ber of adults, for the young have less chance in the struggle for exist- 

 ence, and in the above calculation ample allowance has been made 

 accordingly. 



In Europe the black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) and other species of 

 grouse, as well as pheasants, are assiduously sought by the golden 

 eagle and in some localities their numbers seriously depleted. Mr. 

 E. S. Cameron states that on the island of Jura, Inner Hebrides, the 

 grouse, once abundant on the moor, were so much molested by this 

 bird of prey, which hunted them much as does a peregrine falcon, 

 that they left the place. 



In the northern regions ptarmigans {Lagopus) often furnish a part 

 of this eagle's food. The red grouse of Great Britain {Lagopus 

 scoticus) and the various other ptarmigans of Europe, as well as 

 those of Alaska and Arctic North America, are among the victims. 

 Mr. R. MacFarlane has found ptarmigans in the nest of the golden 

 eagle on the Anderson River, Mackenzie, and these birds are 

 probably often fed to the young. 



Wild turkeys, particularly in regions where they are numerous 

 and not wary, are, owing to their size, attractive quarry for the 

 golden eagle; and, at least formerly, probably occupied no insig- 

 nificant place on its bill of fare, to which effect we have the testimony 

 of Audubon and other authors. 



Also bob whites (Colinus) are sometimes taken, as is evidenced by 

 a specimen of the golden eagle killed near Wooster, Ohio, which 

 had remains of one in its stomach. Mr. J. B. Purdy records the 

 capture of an eagle near North ville, Mich., which was so intent on 

 its pursuit of a covey of bobwhites that it entangled itself in a thicket 

 of raspberry bushes. 



Wild waterfowl are not so much hunted by the golden eagle as by 

 the bald eagle, but are, nevertheless, an important article of diet. 

 Occasionally game of this kind that has fallen to the gun of the 

 hunter will be seized and borne away before his eyes. Mr. R. 

 MacFarlane mentions ducks as a part of the regular food in the 

 region of the Anderson River, Mackenzie, and Mr. L. M. Turner 

 makes a similar statement regarding the coast of Alaska. Geese 

 and swans, particularly the former, are the principal other water 

 birds eaten; but curlews, plovers, and probably similar species, at 



