192 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XI 
The nest cavity was lined with duck feathers, dry moss and grasses. It measured 
sixteen inches in diameter and was four inches deep. 
As far as I could learn both birds shared about equally the duties of nest- 
building and incubation. I watcht one pair of birds with a telescope and found 
that the female occupied the nest most of the time, but the male was not far away 
at any time. One thing that has always puzzled me was the comparative scarcity of 
breeding birds in southeastern Alaska in the spring of 1907. During the latter 
part of April and the first of May it was no uncommon sight to see fifteen or twenty 
eagles together waiting for a school of herring. I do not know that these birds 
did not breed later on; but I do not think that this was the case, as I found numer- 
ous nests, most of which were not occupied. 
Two eggs is a normal set with these birds; and I have been led to believe, from 
the nests that I have examined, that not more than one set in ten consists of three 
eggs. A set of two eggs taken at Windfall Harbor, Alaska, on April 30, 1907, are 
rounded ovate in shape; the shell is rough, clear white and slightly nest-stained. 
These eggs are unusually large, measuring 78X58.5 and 75.5X601 millimeters. At 
YOUNG NORTHERN BALD EAGLES ABOUT THREE WEEKS OLD; HAWKINS ISLAND, PRINCE 
WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA 
this date the eggs were practically fresh. I do not know the exact length of the 
period of incubation. The earliest nesting record that I have is April 30, and the 
latest about May 25. 
The third illustration shows three young eagles in the nest on Hawkins Island 
which is illustrated in the second cut with this article. This photo was taken June 
21, 1908, and I took the young birds to be about ten days old at this time. They 
were clothed in white natal down. Two freshly caught fish about a foot long were 
lying beside them. The young eaglets evidently took me for the old eagle when I 
invaded the nest; for they stuck up their heads uttering a rasping sound thru their 
wide-open mouths, and tried to swallow the end of my finger when it was inserted 
into their mouths. It might not be out of place to mention here that while I was 
thus employed, both parent birds were circling overhead uttering the chuckling 
alarm note; and altho seemingly much concerned about the fate of their young 
they made no effort to attack me and at no time came nearer than fifty yards. I 
have never known these birds to fight for their young and I believe that the valor 
