16 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



the nauseous contents of its craw, to snatch them up before they could reach the 

 ground *. Like many of the Vultures, it has the custom, after a full meal, of sitting 

 on its perch with its wings drooping down past its feet ; and it often keeps its 

 wings half open, with its breast turned to the breeze, as if to cool its skin heated 

 by an abundant and stimulating repast. It takes the scaly objects of its pursuit by 

 pouncing on them with its claws ; and for this purpose it haunts rapids and cas- 

 cades, where the fish, in the efforts they make to ascend the stream in the spawning 

 season, are more exposed to its attacks. Its superior strength also enables it to 

 turn the industry of the Osprey to account, by robbing it of its prey. The assaults 

 it makes on this active bird are described with peculiar animation and a strong 

 feeling of the beauties of Nature in the following extract from Wilson : — 



" This distinguished bird, as he is the most beautiful of his tribe in this part of 

 the world, and the adopted emblem of our country, is entitled to particular notice. 

 He has long- been known to naturalists, being- common to both continents and 

 occasionally met with from a very high northern latitude to the borders of the 

 torrid zone. Formed by nature for braving the severest cold ; feeding equally 

 on the produce of the sea and of the land ; possessing powers of flight capable of 

 outstripping even the tempests themselves ; unawed by any thing but man ; and 

 from the ethereal heights to which he soars looking abroad, at one glance, on an 

 immeasurable expanse of forests, fields, lakes, and ocean, deep below him, he 

 appears indifferent to the little localities of change of seasons, as in a few minutes 

 he can pass from summer to winter, from the lower to the higher regions of the 

 atmosphere, the abode of eternal cold, and from thence descend at will to the 

 torrid or the arctic regions of the earth. He is, therefore, found at all seasons in 

 the countries he inhabits, but prefers such places as have been mentioned above, 

 from the great partiality he has for fish. In procuring these he displays in a 

 singular manner the genius and energy of his character, which is fierce, contem- 

 plative, daring, and tyrannical, — attributes not exerted but on particular occasions, 

 but, when put forth, overpowering all opposition. Elevated on the high dead limb 

 of some gigantic tree, that commands a wide view of the neighbouring shore and 

 ocean, he seems calmly to contemplate the motions of the various feathered tribes 

 that pursue their busy avocations below : the snow-white Gulls, slowly winnowing 

 the air ; the busy Tringw, coursing along the sands ; trains of Ducks, streaming 

 over the surface ; silent and watchful Cranes, intent and wading ; clamorous 

 Crows, and all the winged multitudes that subsist by the bounty of this vast liquid 

 magazine of nature. 



* Wilson, iv., p. 89. 



