156 
EAGLE. 
“‘The Bald Eagle,’ says this gentleman, ‘remains 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 strugghng 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 
broken 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 delibe- 
rately 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 
hawk as the hawks do the king-birds, only as teazing 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 formi- 
dable individual. ‘ It was shot,’ says Mr. Gardiner, ‘ last winter, on 
this island, and weighed thirteen pounds, measured three feet in length, 
and seven from tip to tip of the expanded wings ; was extremely fierce 
looking ; though wounded, would turn his back to no one ; fastened 
his claws into the head of a dog, and was with difficulty disengaged. 
I have rode on horseback within five or six rods of one, who, by his 
bold demeanour, raising his feathers, &c., seemed willing to dispute 
the ground with its owner. The crop of the present was full of mut- 
ton from my part blood merinos ; and his intestines contained feathers, 
which he probably devoured with a duck, or winter gull, as I observed 
an entire foot and leg of some water fowl. I had two killed previous 
to this, which weighed ten pounds avoirdupoise each.’ 
“ The intrepidity of character mentioned above, may be further illus- 
trated by the following fact, which occurred a few years ago near Great 
Egg-harbour, New Jersey. A woman who happened to be weeding’ 
in the garden, had set her child down near to amuse itself while she 
was at work, when a sudden and extraordinary rushing sound, and a 
scream from her child, alarmed her, and starting up she beheld the 
infant thrown down, and dragged some few feet, and a large Bald 
