54 
WASHINGTON SEA-EAGLE. 
border and divide Green river, in Kentucky, near its junction with the Ohio. 
The river is there bordered by a range of high cliffs, which, for some distance, 
follow its windings. I observed on the rocks, which, at that place, are nearly 
perpendicular, a quantity of white ordure, which I attributed to Owls that 
might have resorted thither. I mentioned the circumstance to my com- 
panions, when one of them, who lived within a mile and a half of the place, 
told me it was from the nest of the Brown Eagle, meaning the White-headed 
Eagle {Falco leucocephalus) in its immature state. I assured him this could 
not be, and remarked that neither the old nor the young birds of that 
species ever build in such places, but always in trees. Although he could 
not answer my objection, he stoutly maintained that a Brown Eagle of some 
kind, above the usual size, had built there ; and added that he had espied 
the nest some days before, and had seen one of the old birds dive and catch 
a fish. This he thought strange, having, till then, always observed that 
both Brown Eagles and Bald Eagles procured this kind of food by robbing 
the Fish-Hawks. He said that if I felt particularly anxious to know what 
nest it was, I might soon satisfy myself, as the old birds would come and 
feed their young with fish, for he had seen them do so before. 
In high expectation, I seated myself about a hundred yards from the foot 
of the rock. Never did time pass more slowly. I could not help betraying 
the most impatient curiosity, for my hopes whispered it was a Sea-Eagle’s 
nest. Two long hours had elapsed before the old bird made his appearance, 
which was announced to us by, the loud hissings of the two young ones, 
which crawled to the extremity of the hole to receive a fine fish. I had a 
perfect view of this noble bird as he held himself to the edging rock, hanging 
like the Barn, Bank, or Social Swallow, his tail spread, and his wings partly 
so. I trembled lest a word should escape from my companions. The 
slightest murmur had been treason from them. They entered into my 
feelings, and, ^ although little interested, gazed with me. In a few minutes 
the other parent joined her mate, and from the difference in size (the female 
of rapacious birds being largest), we knew this to be the mother bird. 
She also had brought a fish ; but, more cautious than her mate, she glanced 
her quick and piercing eye around, and instantly perceived that her abode 
had been discovered. She dropped her prey, with a loud shriek com- 
municated the alarm to the male, and, hovering with him over our heads, 
kept up a growling cry, to intimidate us from our suspected design. This 
watchful solicitude I have ever found peculiar to the female : — must I be 
understood to speak only of birds ? 
The young having concealed themselves, we went and picked up the fish 
which the mother had let fall. It was a white perch, weighing about 5i lbs. 
«. The upper part of the head was broken in, and the back torn by the talons 
