BIRDS. 155 
peculiar respect, as the chosen emblem of their native 
land. The great cataract of Niagara is mentioned as one 
of its favourite places of resort, not merely as a fishing 
station, where it is enabled to satiate its hunger upon its 
most congenial food, but also in consequence of the vast 
quantity of four-footed beasts, which unwarily venturing 
into the stream above, are borne away by the torrent, and 
precipitated down those tremendous falls. 
High o'er the watery uproar silent seen, 
Sailing sedate in majesty serene, 
Now 'midst the pillar'd spray sublimely lost, 
And now emerging, down the rapids toss'd, 
Glides the Bald Eagle, gazing calm and slow 
O'er all the horrors of the scene below ; 
Intent alone to sate himself with blood, 
From the torn victims of the raging flood. 
The number of birds of prey of various kinds, which 
assemble at the foot of the rocks to glut themselves upon 
the banquet thus provided for them, is said to be incredibly 
great, but they are all compelled to give place to the 
eagle when he deigns to feed on dead animals ; and the 
crow and the vulture submit without a struggle to the 
exercise of that tyranny, which they know it would be in 
vain to resist. "We have ourselves," says Wilson, "seen 
the Bald Eagle, while seated on the dead carcase of a 
horse, keep a whole flock of vultures at a respectful dis- 
tance, until he had fully sated his own appetite :" and he 
adds another instance, in which many thousands of tree 
squirrels having been drowned, in one of their migrations, 
in attempting to pass the Ohio, and having furnished for 
some length of time a rich banquet to the vultures, the 
sudden appearance among them of the Bald Eagle at once 
put a stop to their festivities, and drove them to a distance 
from their prey, of which the Eagle kept sole possession 
for several successive days. 
