60 
SEA EAGLE. 
thing may be deduced from the following circumstance. In the 
month of May, while on a shooting excursion along the sea- 
coast, not far from Great Egg-Harbour, accompanied by my 
friend Mr. Ord, we were conducted about a mile into the woods, 
to see an Eagle’s nest. On approaching within a short distance 
of the place, the bird was perceived slowly retreating from the 
nest, which we found occupied the centre of the top of a very 
large yellow pine. The woods were cut down, and cleared off 
for several rods around the spot, which, from this circumstance, 
and the stately erect trunk, and large crooked wriggling branches 
of the tree, surmounted by a black mass of sticks and brush, 
had a very singular and picturesque effect. Our conductor had 
brought an axe with him to cut down the tree; but my com- 
panion, anxious to save the eggs, or young, insisted on ascend- 
ing to the nest, which he fearlessly performed, while we sta- 
tioned ourselves below, ready to defend him in case of an at- 
tack from the old Eagles. No opposition, however, was offered; 
and on reaching the nest, it was found, to our disappointment, 
empty. It was built of large sticks, some of them several feet 
in length; within which lay sods of earth, sedge, grass, dry 
reeds, &c. &c. piled to the height of five or six feet, by more 
than four in breadth; it was well lined with fresh pine tops, and 
had little or no concavity. Under this lining lay the recent exu- 
viae of the young of the present year, such as scales of the quill 
feathers, down, &c. Our guide had passed this place late in Fe- 
bruary, at which time both male and female were making a 
great noise about the nest; and from what we afterwards learnt, 
it is highly probable it contained young, even at that early time 
of the season. 
A few miles from this is another Eagle’s nest, built also on a 
pine tree, which, from the information received from the pro- 
prietor of the woods, had been long the residence of this family 
of Eagles. The tree on which the nest was originally built had 
been for time immemorial, or at least ever since he remember- 
ed, inhabited by these Eagles. Some of his sons cut down this 
tree to procure the young, which were two in number; and the 
