20 



SEA EAGLE 



Eagles. The tree on which the nest was originally built had been 

 for time immemorial, or at least ever since he remembered, inha- 

 bited by these Eagles. Some of his sons cut down this tree to pro- 

 cure the young, which were two in number ; and the Eagles soon 

 after commenced building another nest on the very next adjoining 

 tree, thus exhibiting a very particular attachment to the spot. The 

 Eagles, he says, make it a kind of home and lodging place in all 

 seasons. This man asserts, that the Grey, or Sea Eagles, are the 

 young of the Bald Eagle, and that they are several years old be-^ 

 fore they begin to breed. It does not drive its young from the 

 nest like the Osprey, or Fish-Hawk; but continues to feed them 

 long after they leave it. 



The bird from which the figure in the plate was drawn, and 

 which is reduced to one-third the size of life, measured three feet 

 in length, and upwards of seven feet in extent. The bill was 

 formed exactly like that of the Bald Eagle, but of a dusky brown 

 color; cere and legs bright yellow; the latter, as in the Bald Eagle, 

 feathered a little below the knee; irides a bright straw color; head 

 above, neck and back streaked with light brown, deep brown and 

 white, the plumage being white, tipt and centered with brown; 

 scapulars brown; lesser wing-coverts very pale, intermixed with 

 white; primaries black, their shafts brownish white; rump pale 

 brownish white; tail rounded, somewhat longer than the wijigs 

 when shut, brown on the exterior vanes, the inner ones white, 

 sprinkled with dirty brown ; throat, breast and belly white, dashed 

 and streaked with different tints of brown and pale yellow; vent 

 brown, tipt with white; femorals dark brown, tipt with lighter; 

 auriculars brown, forming a bar from below the eye backwards ; 

 plumage of the neck long, narrow and pointed, as is usual with 

 Eagles, and of a brownish color tipt with white. 



The Sea Eagle is said by various authors to hunt at night as 

 well as during the day, and that besides fish it feeds on chickens, 

 birds, hares and other animals. It is also said to catch fish during 



