me to place you on the Mississippi, on which you may float gently along,
while approaching winter brings millions of water-fowl on whistling
wings, from the countries of the north, to seek a milder climate in
which to sojourn for a season. The Eagle is seen perched, in an erect
attitude, on the highest summit of the tallest tree by the margin of the
broad stream. His glistening but stern eye looks over the vast expanse.
He listens attentively to every sound that comes to his quick ear from
afar, glancing now and then on the earth beneath, lest even the light
tread of the fawn may pass unheard. His mate is perched on the opposite
side, and should all be tranquil and silent, warns him by a cry to
continue patient. At this well known call, the male partly opens his
broad wings, inclines his body a little downwards, and answers to her
voice in tones not unlike the laugh of a maniac. The next moment, he
resumes his erect attitude, and again all around is silent. Ducks of many
species, the Teal, the Wigeon, the Mallard and others, are seen passing
with great rapidity, and following the course of the current; but the
Eagle heeds them not: they are at that time beneath his attention. The
next moment, however, the wild trumpet-like sound of a yet distant but
approaching Swan is heard. A shriek from the female Eagle comes across
the stream,—for, kind reader, she is fully as alert as her mate. The
latter suddenly shakes the whole of his body, and with a few touches of
his bill, aided by the action of his cuticular muscles, arranges his
plumage in an instant. The snow-white bird is now in sight: her long
neck is stretched forward, her eye is on the watch, vigilant as that of
her enemy; her large wings seem with difficulty to support the weight
of her body, although they flap incessantly. So irksome do her exertions
seem, that her very legs are spread beneath her tail, to aid her in her
flight. She approaches, however. The Eagle has marked her for his prey.
As the Swan is passing the dreaded pair, starts from his perch, in full
preparation for the chase, the male bird, with an awful scream, that to
the Swan's ear brings more terror than the report of the large duck-gun.
Now is the moment to witness the display of the Eagle's powers. He glides
through the air like a falling star, and, like a flash of lightning,
comes upon the timorous quarry, which now, in agony and despair, seeks,
by various manœuvres, to elude the grasp of his cruel talons. It mounts,
doubles, and willingly would plunge into the stream, were it not prevented
by the Eagle, which, long possessed of the knowledge that by such a
stratagem the Swan might escape him, forces it to remain in the air by
attempting to strike it with his talons from beneath. The hope of escape
is soon given up by the Swan. It has already become much weakened, and
its strength fails at the sight of the courage and swiftness of its
antagonist. Its last gasp is about to escape, when the ferocious Eagle
strikes with his talons the under side of its wing, and with unresisted
power forces the bird to fall in a slanting direction upon the nearest
shore.
It is then, reader, that you may see the cruel spirit of this dreaded
enemy of the feathered race, whilst, exulting over his prey, he for the
first time breathes at ease. He presses down his powerful feet, and drives
his sharp claws deeper than ever into the heart of the dying Swan. He
shrieks with delight, as he feels the last convulsions of his prey, which
has now sunk under his unceasing efforts to render death as painfully
felt as it can possibly be. The female has watched every movement of
her mate; and if she did not assist him in capturing the Swan, it was
not from want of will, but merely that she felt full assurance that the
power and courage of her lord were quite sufficient for the deed. She
now sails to the spot where he eagerly awaits her, and when she has
arrived, they together turn the breast of the luckless Swan upwards,
and gorge themselves with gore.
At other times, when these Eagles, sailing in search of prey, discover
a Goose, a Duck, or a Swan, that has alighted on the water, they
accomplish its destruction in a manner that is worthy of your attention.
The Eagles, well aware that water-fowl have it in their power to dive
at their approach, and thereby elude their attempts upon them, ascend
in the air in opposite directions over the lake or river, on which they
have observed the object which they are desirous of possessing. Both
Eagles reach a certain height, immediately after which one of them glides
with great swiftness towards the prey; the latter, meantime, aware of
the Eagle's intention, dives the moment before he reaches the spot.
The pursuer then rises in the air, and is met by its mate, which glides
toward the water-bird, that has just emerged to breathe, and forces it
to plunge again beneath the surface, to escape the talons of this second
assailant. The first Eagle is now poising itself in the place where its
mate formerly was, and rushes anew to force the quarry to make another
plunge. By thus alternately gliding, in rapid and often repeated rushes,
over the ill-fated bird, they soon fatigue it, when it stretches out its
neck, swims deeply, and makes for the shore, in the hope of concealing
itself among the rank 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 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, 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.
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 it alights and devours the filthy
mass. A ludicrous instance of this took place near the city of Natchez,
on the Mississippi. Many Vultures were engaged in devouring the body
and entrails of a dead horse, when a White-headed Eagle accidentally
passing by, the vultures all took to wing, one among the rest with a
portion of the entrails partly swallowed, and the remaining part, about
a yard in length, dangling in the air. The Eagle instantly marked him,
and gave chase. The poor vulture tried in vain to disgorge, when the
Eagle, coming up, seized the loose end of the gut, and dragged the bird
along for twenty or thirty yards, much against its will, until both fell
to the ground, when the Eagle struck the vulture, and in a few moments
killed it, after which he swallowed the delicious morsel.
I have heard of several attempts made by this bird to destroy children,
but have never witnessed any myself, although I have little doubt of
its having sufficient daring to do so.
The flight of the White-headed Eagle is strong, generally uniform,
and protracted to any distance, at pleasure. Whilst travelling, it is
entirely supported by equal easy flappings, without any intermission,
in as far as I have observed it, by following it with the eye or the
assistance of a glass. When looking for prey, it sails with extended
wings, at right angles to its body, now and then allowing its legs to
hang at their full length. Whilst sailing, it has the power of ascending
in circular sweeps, without a single flap of the wings, or any apparent
motion either of them or of the tail; and in this manner it often rises
until it disappears from the view, the white tail remaining longer
visible than the rest of the body. At other times, it rises only a
few hundred feet in the air, and sails off in a direct line, and with
rapidity. Again, when thus elevated, it partially closes its wings, and
glides downwards for a considerable space, when, as if disappointed,
it suddenly checks its career, and reassumes its former steady flight.
When at an immense height, and as if observing an object on the ground,
it closes its wings, and glides through the air with such rapidity as
to cause a loud rustling sound, not unlike that produced by a violent
gust of wind passing amongst the branches of trees. Its fall towards the
earth can scarcely be followed by the eye on such occasions, the more
particularly that these falls or glidings through the air usually take
place when they are least expected.
This bird has the power of raising from the surface of the water any
floating object not heavier than itself. In this manner it often robs
the sportsman of ducks which have been killed by him. Its audacity is
quite remarkable. While descending the Upper Mississippi, I observed one
of these Eagles in pursuit of a Green-winged Teal. It came so near our
boat, although several persons were looking on, that I could perceive the
glancings of its eye. The Teal, on the point of being caught, when not
more than fifteen or twenty yards from us, was saved from the grasp of its
enemy, one of our party having brought the latter down by a shot, which
broke one of its wings. When taken on board, it was fastened to the deck
of our boat by means of a string, and was fed with pieces of cat-fish,
some of which it began to eat on the third day of its confinement. But,
as it became a very disagreeable and dangerous associate, trying on
all occasions to strike at some one with its talons, it was killed and
thrown overboard.
When these birds are suddenly and unexpectedly approached or surprised,
they exhibit a great degree of cowardice. They rise at once and fly off
very low, in zig-zag lines, to some distance, uttering a hissing noise,
not at all like their usual disagreeable imitation of a laugh. When
not carrying a gun, one may easily approach them; but the use of that
instrument being to appearance well known to them, they are very cautious
in allowing a person having one to get near them. Notwithstanding all
their caution, however, many are shot by approaching them under cover
of a tree, on horseback, or in a boat. They do not possess the power of
smelling gunpowder, as the crow and the raven are absurdly supposed to
do; nor are they aware of the effects of spring-traps, as I have seen
some of them caught by these instruments. Their sight, although probably
as perfect as that of any bird, is much affected during a fall of snow,
at which time they may be approached without difficulty.
The White-headed Eagle seldom appears in very mountainous districts, but
prefers the low lands of the sea-shores, those of our large lakes, and
the borders of rivers. It is a constant resident in the United States, in
every part of which it is to be seen. The roosts and breeding places of
pigeons are resorted to by it, for the purpose of picking up the young
birds that happen to fall, or the old ones when wounded. It seldom,
however, follows the flocks of these birds when on their migrations.
When shot at and wounded, it tries to escape by long and quickly repeated
leaps, and, if not closely pursued, soon conceals itself. Should it happen
to fall on the water, it strikes powerfully with expanded wings, and in
this manner often reaches the shore, when it is not more than twenty or
thirty yards distant. It is capable of supporting life without food for
a long period. I have heard of some, which, in a state of confinement,
had lived without much apparent distress for twenty days, although I
cannot vouch for the truth of such statements, which, however, may be
quite correct. They defend themselves in the manner usually followed
by other Eagles and Hawks, throwing themselves backwards, and furiously
striking with their talons at any object within reach, keeping their bill
open, and turning their head with quickness to watch the movements of the
enemy, their eyes being apparently more protruded than when unmolested.
It is supposed that Eagles live to a very great age,—some persons have
ventured to say even a hundred years. On this subject, I can only observe,
that I once found one of these birds, which, on being killed, proved to
be a female, and which, judging by its appearance, must have been very
old. Its tail and wing-feathers were so worn out, and of such a rusty
colour, that I imagined the bird had lost the power of moulting. The
legs and feet were covered with large warts, the claws and bill were much
blunted, it could scarcely fly more than a hundred yards at a time, and
this it did with a heaviness and unsteadiness of motion such as I never
witnessed in any other bird of the species. The body was poor and very
tough. The eye was the only part which appeared to have sustained no
injury. It remained sparkling and full of animation, and even after death
seemed to have lost little of its lustre. No wounds were perceivable on
its body.
The White-headed Eagle is seldom seen alone, the mutual attachment which
two individuals form when they first pair seeming to continue until one
of them dies or is destroyed. They hunt for the support of each other,
and seldom feed apart, but usually drive off other birds of the same
species. They commence their amatory intercourse at an earlier period
than any other _land bird_ with which I am acquainted, generally in the
month of December. At this time, along the Mississippi, or by the margin
of some lake not far in the interior of the forest, the male and female
birds are observed making a great bustle, flying about and circling in
various ways, uttering a loud cackling noise, alighting on the dead
branches of the tree on which their nest is already preparing, or in
the act of being repaired, and caressing each other. In the beginning
of January incubation commences. I shot a female, on the 17th of that
month, as she sat on her eggs, in which the chicks had made considerable
progress.
The nest, which in some instances is of great size, is usually placed
on a very tall tree, destitute of branches to a considerable height, but
by no means always a dead one. It is never seen on rocks. It is composed
of sticks, from three to five feet in length, large pieces of turf, rank
weeds, and Spanish moss in abundance, whenever that substance happens to
be near. When finished, it measures from five to six feet in diameter,
and so great is the accumulation of materials, that it sometimes measures
the same in depth, it being occupied for a great number of years in
succession, and receiving some augmentation each season. When placed in
a naked tree, between the forks of the branches, it is conspicuously
seen at a great distance. The eggs, which are from two to four, more
commonly two or three, are of a dull white colour, and equally rounded at
both ends, some of them being occasionally granulated. Incubation lasts
for more than three weeks, but I have not been able to ascertain its
precise duration, as I have observed the female on different occasions
sit for a few days in the nest, before laying the first egg. Of this I
assured myself by climbing to the nest every day in succession, during
her temporary absence,—a rather perilous undertaking when the bird is
sitting.
I have seen the young birds when not larger than middle-sized pullets.
At this time, they are covered with a soft cottony kind of down, their
bill and legs appearing disproportionately large. Their first plumage is
of a greyish colour, mixed with brown of different depths of tint, and
before the parents drive them off from the nest, they are fully fledged.
As a figure of the Young White-headed Eagle will appear in the course of
the publication of my Illustrations, I shall not here trouble you with a
description of its appearance. I once caught three young Eagles of this
species, when fully fledged, by having the tree on which their nest was,
cut down. It caused great trouble to secure them, as they could fly and
scramble much faster than any of our party could run. They, however,
gradually became fatigued, and at length were so exhausted as to offer
no resistance, when we were securing them with cords. This happened on
the border of Lake Pontchartrain, in the month of April. The parents did
not think fit to come within gun-shot of the tree while the axe was at
work.
The attachment of the parents to the young is very great, when the latter
are yet of a small size; and to ascend to the nest at this time would be
dangerous. But as the young advance, and, after being able to take wing
and provide for themselves, are not disposed to fly off, the old birds
turn them out, and beat them away from them. They return to the nest,
however, to 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, oppossums, 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 suppose 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 considerably. 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
distance 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 wakens 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.
Before steam-navigation commenced on our western rivers, these Eagles
were extremely abundant there, particularly in the lower parts of the
Ohio, the Mississippi, and the adjoining streams. I have seen hundreds
going down from the mouth of the Ohio to New Orleans, when it was not at
all difficult to shoot them. Now, however, their number is considerably
diminished, the game on which they were in the habit of feeding,
having been forced to seek refuge from the persecution of man farther
in the wilderness. Many, however, are still observed on these rivers,
particularly along the shores of the Mississippi.
In concluding this account of the White-headed Eagle, suffer me, kind
reader, to say how much I grieve that it should have been selected as the
Emblem of my Country. The opinion of our great Franklin on this subject,
as it perfectly coincides with my own, I shall here present to you. "For
my part," says he, in one of his letters, "I wish the Bald Eagle had not
been chosen as the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad
moral character; he does not get his living honestly; you may have seen
him perched on some dead tree, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he
watches the labour of the Fishing-Hawk; and when that diligent bird has
at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of
his mate and young ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him, and takes it from
him. With all this injustice, he is never in good case, but, like those
among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor, and
often very lousy. Besides, he is a rank coward; the little King Bird,
not bigger than a Sparrow, attacks him boldly, and drives him out of the
district. He is, therefore, by no means a proper emblem for the brave
and honest Cincinnati of America, who have driven all the _King Birds_
from our country; though exactly fit for that order of knights which
the French call _Chevaliers d'Industrie_."
It is only necessary for me to add, that the name by which this bird
is universally known in America is that of _Bald Eagle_, an erroneous
denomination, as its head is as densely feathered as that of any other
species, although its whiteness may have suggested the idea of its being
bare.
FALCO LEUCOCEPHALUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 124.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 11.
BALD EAGLE, _Lath._ Synops. vol. i. p. 29.—_Wilson_, Americ.
Ornith. vol. iv. p. 89. Pl. 36. Adult.
SEA EAGLE, FALCO OSSIFRAGUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. vii.
p. 16. Pl. 55. fig. 2. Young.
Adult Male. Plate XXXI.
Bill shortish, very deep, compressed; upper mandible with the dorsal
outline at first straight, curved towards the tip, rounded above, sloping
and flattish on the sides, nearly straight, with an obtuse process,
in the acute, overlapping edges; the tip deflected, trigonal, acute,
at its lower part nearly perpendicular to the gap line; lower mandible
slightly convex in its dorsal outline, with inflected acute edges, which
are arched toward the end, the tip broadly rounded. A naked cere, in the
fore part of which are the oblong, oblique, nearly dorsal, open nostrils,
which have a process from the anterior margin. Head rather large, flat
above. Neck robust, rather short. Body ovate. Feet with the leg long, the
tarsus short, feathered in its upper third, rounded, anteriorly covered
with transverse scutella, posteriorly with large, laterally with small
tuberculous scales; toes robust, free, scutellate above, papillar and
scabrous beneath, with large tubercles; claws curved, rounded, marginate
beneath, very acute.
Plumage compact, imbricated, glossy; feathers of the head, neck and
breast, narrow and pointed; of the back and breast acute, of the other
parts broad and rounded. Space between the bill and eye barish, being
sparsely covered with bristly feathers. Eyebrow bare and projecting.
Wings long, second quill longest, first considerably shorter. Tail of
ordinary length, much rounded, extending considerably beyond the tips
of the wings; of twelve, broad, rounded feathers.
Bill, cere, edge of eyebrow, iris, and feet, yellow; claws bluish-black.
The general colour of the plumage is deep chocolate, the head, neck,
tail, abdomen, and upper and under tail-coverts, white.
Length 34 inches, extent of wings 7 feet; bill along the back 2¾ inches,
along the under mandible 2¾, in depth 1-5/12; tarsus 3, middle toe 3½.
THE BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO.
_COCCYZUS ERYTHROPHTHALMUS_, CH. BONAP.
PLATE XXXII. MALE AND FEMALE.
I have not met with this species in the State of Louisiana more than
half a dozen times; nor indeed have I seen it at all in the Western
States, excepting that of Ohio, where I have occasionally observed an
individual, apparently out of its usual range. Some of these individuals
were probably bound for the Upper Lakes. The woody sides of the sea are
the places to which this species usually resorts. It passes from the
south early in March, and continues its route through Florida, Georgia,
and all the other States verging on the Atlantic, beginning to rest and
to breed in North Carolina, and extending its travels to the Province
of Maine.