THE WHITE-HEADED EAGLE. 
271 
weeds. But this is of no avail, for the eagles follow it 
in all its motions, and the moment it approaches the 
margin, 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 sustenance, follows a different course, and 
one much less suited to a bird apparently 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 the 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 ils 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 eagle. 
“ 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 Perkioming 
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. 
<c It does not confine itself to these kinds of food, but 
greedily devours young pigs, lambs, fawns, poultry, and 
the putrid flesh of carcasses of every description, driving 
off the vultures and carrion-crows, or the dogs, and 
keeping a whole party at defiance until it is satiated. 
It frequently gives chase to the vultures, and forces 
them to disgorge the contents of their stomachs, when 
