CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



EAGLES. 



Poets and politicians have combined in all ages to 

 celebrate the pre-eminence of the eagle. He was the Bird 

 of Jove to the Greeks, and one of his names in Chinese 

 "Shen ying" would seem to connect him with the Deity also, 

 since the "shen" is the same character as that used in 

 reference to soul, spirit, etc. The Roman soldier went into 

 battle at times only because his "eagle" led the way. In 

 various heraldic forms we find the king of birds adopted as 

 a national emblem by Germany, Russia, France, Austria, and 

 the United States. It was, I think, Washington Irving or 

 Benjamin Franklin who objected to the white-headed eagle 

 as the representative of a democratic people, since instead of 

 \vorking honestly for his own living he subsisted on plunder 

 got from the osprey. At least one Englishman, Captain 

 Bendire, has come to the rescue, and has proved that 

 the white-headed eagle hunts for himself, and more 

 often winged than finny prey. It is only when the temptation 

 is irresistible that he takes to plunder, and what human 

 being can condemn that? Those who live in glass houses 

 should not malign bald eagles. 



There is reason for the profound impression which the 

 eagle has made on the mind of man. His eye, his pinions, his 

 talons, his strength, his courage, and his evident superiority 

 to the rest of the feathered race have all been such frequent 

 themes of admiring prose or poetry as to bring into proverbial 

 use many sayings respecting them. There are, of course 

 eagles and eagles. They are not all of the "Imperial" or 

 "Golden" type. Some are closely allied to the vultures, and, 

 if it may be whispered of royalty, even the noblest of the 

 kind occasionally likes, yes, likes its game " high." Fulsome 

 praise begets undeserved detraction. Modern writers 

 frequently call in question the high character given 

 by their predecessors to the eagle family. "Bold, 

 indeed," says one detractor of the Imperial eagle, "why, 

 I have seen him put to flight by a couple of crows. . . 

 To my mind he is no better than a big hulking kite." 

 And the world of naturalists has none too much love 

 for kites. But we have all seen similar incidents; sleepy, 



