THE WHITE-HEADED EAGLE* 
277 
roost, or sleep on the branches immediately near it, for 
several weeks after. They are fed most abundantly 
while under the care of the parents, which procure for 
them ample supplies of fish, either accidentally cast 
ashore, or taken from the fish-hawk, together with 
rabbits, squirrels, young lambs, pigs, opossums, or 
raccoons. Every thing that comes in the way is 
relished by the young family, as by the old birds. 
“ The young birds begin to breed the following spring, 
not always in pairs of the same age, as I have several 
times observed one of these birds in brown plumage 
mated with a full coloured bird, which had the head 
and tail pure white. I once shot a pair of this kind, 
when the brown bird (the young one) proved to be the 
female. 
“ This species requires at least four years before it 
attains the full beauty of its plumage when kept in 
confinement. I have known two instances in which 
the white of the head did not make its appearance 
until the sixth spring. It is impossible for me to say 
how much sooner this state of perfection is attained, 
when the bird is at full liberty, although I should sup- 
pose it to be at least one year, as the bird is capable of 
breeding the first spring after birth. 
“ The weight of eagles of this species varies consider- 
ably. In the males, it is from six to eight pounds, and 
in the females, from eight to twelve. These birds are 
so attached to particular districts, where they have 
first made their nest, that they seldom spend a night 
at any distance from the latter, and often resort to its 
immediate neighbourhood. Whilst asleep, they emit a 
loud hissing sort of snore, which is heard at the dis- 
tance of a hundred yards, when the weather is perfectly 
calm. Yet, so light is their sleep, that the cracking 
of a stick under the foot of a person immediately 
awakens them. When it is attempted to smoke them 
while thus roosted and asleep, they start up and sail off 
without uttering any sound, but return next evening 
to the same spot. 
