r— — — 
The Golden Eagle in the Hudson Highlands. — This splendid 
bird, which was formerly quite characteristic of this wild mountainous 
region, is now becoming quite scarce. It was formerly known to nest upon 
the cliffs on the west side of the Hudso-n, north of West Point ; and it is 
.still a problem whether at least one pair do not still breed there. 
I have never been able to discover any nest, though I have carefully ex- 
amined each of the three principal ledges lying between West Point and 
| Cornwall ; but these cliffs are so vast and inaccessible, that it is impossible 
to examine them satisfactorily from either top or bottom, even with the 
aid of a good glass. As I have seldom undertaken these fatiguing excur- 
| sions during their breeding season, I have not ascertained the fact of their 
presence there at that season ; but in winter I have occasionally seen a 
single individual flying near the top of the mountains. 
Several years ago, a Golden Eagle was shot opposite those cliffs by a 
farmer at Cold Spring, while in the act of destroying a goose belonging to 
\ the farmer. 
A few days since, through the kindness of my friends, Professor Robert 
Donald and Mr. Sanford R. Knapp, of Peekskill, T examined a finely 
mounted specimen of this Eagle, in the possession of the latter gentleman. 
It was in the plumage of the young male (the basal two-thirds of the tail 
being white), and measured seventy-eight inches in expanse. It was shot 
by a farmer three miles east of Peekskill, on the 16th of November, 1877. 
A third specimen was taken in the Palisades of the Lower Hudson in 
| October, 1875. This was a fine adult specimen. The sportsman who shot 
! ^ sa -id that “ he saw it in a tree over his head, and killed it with a charge 
| of No. 9 shot.” 
I have seen this Eagle on several occasions, but never in summer. In 
March, 1876, two Golden Eagles were found in a certain spot in Put- 
nam County for several weeks, but I did not succeed in shooting them. 
In April, 1872, I saw one twice, whose tail was all white, save a narrow 
terminal bar of black. 
An aged hunter, Mr. William LeForge, positively asserts that Eagles 
nest upon the cliffs north of West Point. In support of this statement, he 
related to me, in substance, the following circumstance : A few years ago, j 
(about ten ?) on the occasion of the death of an old man, who lived the 
life of a hermit, near the summit of a mountain between “ Cro’s Nest ” 
and “ Storm King,” the remains had to be carried down to the foot of the 
| mountain to the river. On their way down the company (conducted by 
LeForge) halted at the foot of a ledge, where their attention was attracted 
j th e “ hissing ” of some young Eagles on the rocks above them. — Edgar 
A. Mearns, Highland Falls, N. Y. /t /od ici 
