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device known to bird-catchers as a figure-four trap, to 

 which a string was tied and held at the other end by a 

 boy ambushed in the neighborhood. As a decoy, a hen 

 and chickens were procured ; the hen fastened in front 

 of the crate, with a string, allowing her to retreat for 

 shelter under the crate, when danger threatened. 



The Eagles (no less than four were successively 

 caught) circling high in the air soon spied the hen and 

 her brood, and after hovering round to see whether the 

 coast was clear, they descended with " the swiftness of 

 a meteor," lit on the ground and rushed after Dame 

 Partlett, who retreated under the protecting crate, fol- 

 lowed by her merciless pursuers, when the boy in am- 

 bush drew the peg of the figure-four and Aquila had to 

 throw up the sponge. 



These two Eagles I kept during thirteen months in a 

 chicken-coop. The January cold seemed not to effect 

 them ; hunger failed to quench their indomitable fero- 

 city. I amply verified what Audubon states about 

 their ability to go several days without food, as well 

 as the noise, like a dog's bark, which they indulged in, 

 at the mating season. 



Finally, fearing some accident should occur to children 

 venturing too close to the eagles' quarters, I reluctantly 

 parted with them to a British officer, Captain Rook, of 

 the 54th, then returning to London. I heard subse- 

 quently that one of these birds had attained a great size, 

 uncommon beauty of plumage, and, had, from a lover 

 of birds, the honor of a detailed description in the 

 London Field. 



At least twenty varieties of the hawk family visit 

 our latitudes ; here is the delicately-spotted Goshawk, 

 identical with the European species : the breast is of a 

 lovely ash colour, with most delicate markings ; there 

 is the Rough-legged Buzzard ; there, the March Hawk ; 

 there is another species with large expanse of wing, 

 that is the Broad- winged Hawk, not so large as the 

 Goshawk, and of plumage less bright ; then, comes the 



