136 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA 
and rapine. The Bald Eagle is quite plentiful in the vicinity of large 
rivers, where the Fish Hawk is common; unlike this last named bird, 
however, he cannot be called piscivorous, as he subsists largely on ducks, 
geese and other aquatic birds. Referring to this eagle, Audubon says: 
“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 
labor. Perched on some tall summit, in view of the ocean, or of some 
water-course, he watches every motion of the Fish Hawk 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, accu¬ 
rately estimating the rapid descent of the fish, closes his wings, follows 
it with the swiftness of thought, and the next moment grasps it. * * 
This bird now and then procures fish for 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 frozen pond to get at some fish below, but 
without success. 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.” Even man is not exempt from the attacks of these predacious 
birds. I have repeatedly seen in newspapers, accounts of combats between 
men and eagles ; frequently the bird would be the aggressor. While it 
is admitted that these reports are largely due to the imaginative reporter, 
it is believed that such occurrences do occasionally take place. Verita¬ 
ble instances are related of their carrying off infants. According to 
Wilson, “ an attempt of this kind was made upon a child lying by its 
mother, as she was weeding a garden, at Egg Harbor, New Jersey, but 
the garment seized upon by the eagle giving way at the instant of the 
attempt, the child’s life was spared.” Nuttall speaks of an instance said 
to have happened at Petersburg, Ga., near the Savannah river, “ where 
an infant, sleeping in the shade near the house, was seized and carried 
off to the eyry, near the edge of a swamp, five miles distant, and when 
found, almost immediately, the child was dead.” 
