94 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



over in length, and 6 feet or more in alar extent and is said to weigh 

 from 9 to 13 pounds. The following mention of the peculiarities of 

 the Golden Eagle in captivity I gleaned from conversation with Mr. 

 B. M. Everhart, who for several years kept one in his yard. This 

 bird, in consequence of a gun-shot wound in the wing, was unable to 

 fly off. "All the yard situated to the north and east of the house was 

 known as Nero's (bird's name) domain. Along the walk leading to 

 my office was his perch, a dead tree stump some eight feet high. 

 When satiated with food he would sit there for hours at a time. If at 

 any time during the day a cat or domestic fowl happened to enter his 

 ground, it had to make a speedy departure or be killed. The latter 

 was mostly the case, for Nero seldom 'went for' anything without his 

 capturing it. When I neglected to give him his daily allowance (1 

 Ib. meat), as was sometimes the case, he wandered about the yard ut- 

 tering a ventriloquial. gutteral sound, which had the effect of bring- 

 ing around him birds and chickens. Occasionally the former, and in- 

 variably the latter, would be killed. Towards people other than my- 

 self he displayed great animosity, this being particularly the case 

 with children and timorous individuals. One day Joshua Hoopes, a 

 school teacher at that time, brought a party of his boys to see the 

 bird, and I noticed one of their number, a puny and delicate lad, the 

 eagle continually eyed and several times endeavored to make at him. 

 Towards a female domestic, who had annoyed him by throwing water 

 on him and poking at him with a stick, he showed great antipathy ; 

 we were eventually obliged, for her personal safety and our own con- 

 venience, to discharge the girl, as she could not go into the yard with- 

 out being attacked. An Irishman one day slyly entered the yard, but 

 in crossing Nero's province he was set upon by the bird. In the fleshy 

 part of the man's thigh he imbedded his talons, and it was with con- 

 siderable difficulty his hold was loosened. Erin's son declared that 

 ' Niver before in his howl life had he seed sich a devil,' and that noth- 

 ing short of the eagle's life could appease for his injuries. Examina- 

 tion showed that although there were ugly flesh wounds, nothing of a 

 serious nature would follow. This information being imparted, and 

 a two-dollar bill tendered to the Irishman, his sufferings were much 

 relieved. He stated that although he looked upon the ' critter ' as a 

 ' bold, bad bird,' still he deemed him a fit subject to c kape fra ' from 

 intrusion in the back yard, and that in the future, whenever he had 

 any business with Bridget, he would enter the front gate and make 

 known his wants at the front door. The strongest and largest torn 

 cat he could manage with ease. When anyone had a specially ob- 

 jectionable cat which they wanted disposed of, they would bag it up 

 and bring it to the eagle. As soon as he saw the bag now the bird, 

 which an instant before sat moping, ruff-feathered, and seemingly 



