GOLDEN EAGLE. 29 



least in Europe, are once in a while appropriated. Mr. George A.^ 

 Boardman has seen a great blue heron (Ardea Jierodias) attacked by 

 a golden eagle, but whether to make a meal from it or for some other 

 reason was not apparent. 



A few additional kinds of wild birds are known sometimes to be 

 taken. Prof. A. E. Verrill records that a golden eagle was captured 

 near New Haven, Conn., while feeding on a red-tailed hawk (Buteo 

 borealis), portions of which were found in its craw — strange prey 

 for an eagle! Dr. G. Rorig found remains of a short-eared owl 

 (Nydalops accipitrinus) in the stomach of a golden eagle from Ger- 

 many. Mr. E. S. Cameron says that his Montana eagles often 

 brought meadow larks (Sturnella neglecta) to the nest for the } f oung 

 to eat. Brehm states that the trustful calandra lark (Melanocorypha 

 cdlandra) of Europe is occasionally killed for food, but this is prob- 

 ably in default of other prey. 



On occasion the poultry of the farmer is laid under tribute, but 

 complaints of this are not frequent. Brehm tells that in Europe he 

 has known the domestic turkey to be attacked even in the poultry 

 yard. Mr. William Brewster says that in the mountain valleys of 

 western North Carolina geese are sometimes destroyed, and Dr. E. A. 

 Mearns records an instance of the same near Cold Spring, N. Y. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



In some localities, particularly in the arid western United States, 

 snakes of various kinds, particularly the larger ones, are not infre- 

 quently killed for food. Mr. E. S. Cameron says that his eagles 

 brought numbers of rattlesnakes ( Crotalus conjluentus) to the young, 

 and that once he noticed a bull snake (Pityophis sayi) in the nest. 

 The rattlesnakes were said to be caught by being seized close behind 

 the head, after which the head was torn off and eaten and the body 

 conveyed to the aery. 



Carrion of any kind is acceptable, though apparently not usually 

 so when other food is plenty and easily obtained. Mr. Cameron 

 states that the pair of eagles whose nest was watched by him never, 

 so far as he was aware, took carrion to the young, although there 

 were numerous carcasses of cattle scattered about the neighborhood. 

 Mr. E. W. Nelson, however, has reported this eagle's feeding on the 

 remains of a hog in Illinois; Mr. C. L. Rawson has recorded its 

 devouring a sheep that had been killed by dogs near Salem, Conn. ; 

 and Prof. F. E. L. Beal informs the writer that once in Iowa he has 

 known of its eating a dead cat on the prairie. Dr. A. K. Fisher 

 found carrion in the stomach of a golden eagle killed at Gaithersburg, 

 Md., in December, and also in that of one obtained at Whipple 



