58 
WHITE-HEADED OR BALD EAGLE. 
At times, when these Eagles, sailing in search of prey, discover a Goose, 
a Duck, or a Swan, that has alighted on the water, they accomplish its 
destruction in a manner that is worthy of your attention. The Eagles, well 
aware that water-fowl have it in their power to dive at their approach, and 
thereby elude their attempts upon them, ascend in the air in opposite direc- 
tions over the lake or river, on which they have observed the object which 
they are desirous of possessing. Both Eagles reach a certain height, imme- 
diately after which one of them glides with great swiftness towards the 
prey; the latter, meantime, aware of the Eagle’s intention, dives the 
moment before he reaches the spot. The pursuer then rises in the air, and 
is met by its mate, which glides toward the water-bird, that has just emerged 
to breathe, and forces it to plunge again beneath the surface, to escape the 
talons of this second assailant. The first Eagle is now poising itself in the 
place where its mate formerly was, and rushes anew to force the quarry to 
make another plunge. By thus alternately gliding in rapid and often re- 
peated rushes, over the ill-fated bird, they soon fatigue it, when it stretches 
out its neck, swims deeply, and makes for the shore, in the hope of concealing 
itself among the rank weeds. But this is of no avail, for the Eagles follow 
it in all its motions, and 'the moment it approaches the mai'gin, one of them 
darts upon it, and kills it in an instant, after which they divide the spoil. 
During spring and summer, the White-headed Eagle, to procure suste- 
nance, follows a different course, and one much less suited to a bird appar- 
ently so well able to supply itself without interfering with other plunderers. 
No sooner does the Fish-Hawk make its appearance along our Atlantic 
shores, or ascend our numerous and large rivers, than the Eagle follows it, 
and, like a selfish oppressor, robs it of the hard-earned fruits of its labour. 
Perched on some tall summit, in view of the ocean, or of some water-course, 
he watches every motion of the Osprey while on wing. When the latter 
rises from the water, with a fish in its grasp, forth rushes the Eagle in 
pursuit. He mounts above the Fish-Hawk, and threatens it by actions 
well understood, when the latter, .fearing perhaps that its life is in danger, 
drops its prey. In an instant, the Eagle, accurately estimating the rapid 
descent of the fish, closes his wings, follows it with the swiftness of thought, 
and the next moment grasps it. The prize is carried off in silence to the 
woods, and assists in feeding the ever-hungry brood of the marauder. 
This bird now and then procures fish himself, by pursuing them in the 
shallows of small creeks. I have witnessed several instances of this in the 
Perkiomen Creek in Pennsylvania, where, in this manner, I saw one of them 
secure a number of Red-fins , by wading briskly through the water, and 
striking at them with his bill. I have also observed a pair scrambling 
over the ice of a frozen pond, to get at some fish below, but without success 
