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 waterbird,
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-jins, 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
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