40 
THE BALE, OR WHITE-HEADED EAGLE. 
venience whatever from the array of prickly spines. The same bird used to spend much of its 
time in trying to eat a tortoise, a proceeding which the tortoise treated with perfect equa- 
nimity. The whole story of this bird is rather a curious one, but would occupy too much space 
in a work of this character. 
It is* a fierce and determined bird, having a strange look of lowering self-will in its eyes. 
When wounded, it fights most fiercely ; and even when disabled by a broken wing, it has been 
known to strike so sharply with the sound wing, that the utmost exertions of two men were 
required before it could be subdued and bound. 
As it is rather an unpleasant neighbor to the farmer, the poultry -keeper, or the sheep- 
owner, it is much persecuted, and many ingenious traps are constructed for its destruction. 
In Norway a small conical hut is built, having the roof open, and a piece of stick, to which is 
attached a bait, laid across the aperture. Inside the little hut sits a man, looking out for the 
Eagle. As soon as the bird sees the bait, which is generally a rabbit, or some such dead ani- 
mal, it sweeps down and alights upon the stick. The moment that it settles, it is grasped by 
the concealed inhabitant of the hut, who jerks it through the opening into the little edifice. 
Owing to the conical shape of the hut, the bird is unable to use its wings, which are its best 
weapons, and is, therefore, soon mastered and destroyed. 
The nest of this species is constructed after the fashion of the Eagle tribe, and is made of 
a large mass of sticks, put together in a very inartificial manner. Unlike the generality of the 
Eagles, it does not return year after year to the same spot, but is of a more roving nature, 
leaving its young in possession of the dwelling-places, and going farther afield in search of 
some new hunting-ground. The Golden Eagle acts in a precisely opposite manner ; for as 
soon as the young Eagles are able to shift for themselves, their parents drive them from the 
locality, and will not permit them to come within a considerable distance of the spot where 
they were hatched. 
The head of the Sea Eagle is covered with long drooping feathers, each feather being ashy 
brown, and darker at its centre than at the edges. The rest of the body is dark brown, with 
here and there a lighter spot or streak, the primaries being nearly black. The tail is rounded, 
and of a pure white color in the adult Eagle, and brown in the immature bird. The legs, toes, 
beak, and cere are yellow, and the claws black. The generic name, Haliaetus , is of Greek 
origin, and signifies Sea Eagles. 
The Cinereous Sea Eagle ( Haliaetus aTbicilla) is common to the northern portions of 
both continents. Nine species of this genus are known, two only being common to this coun- 
try, the present species and the White-headed Eagle. Since the first edition of ' ‘ W ood s 
Natural History” was published, this bird has been identified as a frequent visitor in North 
America. The habits of these Sea Eagles differ from those of the Old World ; they feed 
mostly on fish, which is filched from the osprey whenever he is present. 
The noble bird which is represented in the accompanying illustration is celebrated as 
being the type which has been chosen by the Americans as the emblem of their nation. 
The name of Bald, or White-headed Eagle, has been applied to this bird on account 
of the snowy white color of the head and neck, a peculiarity which renders it a most conspic- 
uous bird when at large in its native land. The remainder of the body is a deep chocolate 
brown, inclining to black along the back. The tail and upper tail coverts are of the same 
white hue as the head and neck. In its earlier stages of existence the creature is of more 
sombre tints, not obtaining the beautifully white head and tail until it is four full years 
of age. 
The nest of the Bald Eagle is generally made upon some lofty tree, and in the course of 
years becomes of very great size, as the bird is in the habit of laying her eggs year after year 
in the same nest, and making additions of fresh building-materials at every fresh breeding- 
season. She commences this task at a very early period of the year, depositing her eggs in 
January, and hatching her young by the middle of February. This statement is made by 
Wilson, and is corroborated by the following incident, which is narrated in a note to Thomp- 
son’s “ Birds of Ireland”:— “During a tour made by Bichard Langtrey, Esq., of Fort 
