WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 97 



Mr John L. Gardiner, who resides on an island of three 

 thousand acres, about three miles from the eastern point of 

 Long Island, from which it is separated by Gardiner's Bay, 

 and who has, consequently, many opportunities of observing 

 the habits of these birds, has favoured me with a number of 

 interesting particulars on this subject ; for which I beg leave 

 thus publicly to return my grateful acknowledgment. 



"The bald eagles," says this gentleman, "remain on this 

 island during the whole winter. They can be most easily 

 discovered on evenings by their loud snoring while asleep on 

 high oak trees; and, when awake, their hearing seems to be 

 nearly as good as their sight. I think I mentioned to you, 

 that I had myself seen one flying with a lamb ten days old, 

 and which it dropped on the ground from about ten or twelve 

 feet high. The struggling of the lamb, more than its weight, 

 prevented its carrying it away. My running, hallooing, and 

 being very near, might prevent its completing its design. It 

 had broke the back in the act of seizing it ; and I was under 

 the necessity of killing it outright to prevent its misery. The 

 lamb's dam seemed astonished to see its innocent offspring 

 borne off into the air by a bird. 



" I was lately told," continues Mr Gardiner, " by a man of 

 truth, that he saw an eagle rob a hawk of its fish, and the 

 hawk seemed so enraged as to fly down at the eagle, while 

 the eagle very deliberately, in the air, threw himself partly 

 over on his back, and, while he grasped with one foot the fish, 

 extended the other to threaten or seize the hawk. I have 

 known several hawks unite to attack the eagle ; but never 

 knew a single one to do it. The eagle seems to regard the 

 hawks as the hawks do the king birds — only as teasing, 

 troublesome fellows." 



From the same intelligent and obliging friend, I lately 

 received a well-preserved skin of the bald eagle, which, from 

 its appearance, and the note that accompanied it, seems to 

 have belonged to a very formidable individual. "It was shot," 

 says Mr Gardiner, "last winter, on this island, and weighed 



VOL. II. G 



