Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-02-24
THE EAGLE AND THE WOOD THRUSH.
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BY IL AUDUBON.
The American white-headed eagle, though not
so noble bird as the great American eagle, is,
nevertheless most magnificent bird. Go with
me, and view him in his own native woods. Go
see him in his haunts on the banks of the Mis-
sissippi. See! he takes wing, and there you
have him whirng up into the air as noble
swan comes in sght,and now thereis the scream
ing pursuit and the fatal struggle. Now is the
moment to witness the display Of the eagles
powers. He gldes through the air like falling
star, and like flash of lightning, comes upon
the timorous quarry, which now in agony and
despair, seeks by various manGuvres, to elude
the grasp of his cruel talons. Itmounts, doub-
les, and willingly would plunge into the stream,
were it not prevented by the eagle, which, long
possessed of the knowledge that by such a STRAIT
agem 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. 1t 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 unressted
power forces the bird to fall in a slanting direc-
ton upon the nearest shore.
But with me, the greatest favorite of the
feathered tribe is the wood-thrush, one of tho
most accomplished Of minstres. How often it
has relieved my dropping spirits when have lis
tened to its wild notes in the forest, dfter pass
ing restless night in my slender shed, so feeb-
ly secured against the violence of the storm as
to show me the futjlity of my best efforts to re-
kindle my little fire whose uncertain and vacili-
ating light had gradually died away under the
destructive weight of the dense torrents of rain
that seemed to involve the heavens and the earth
in one mass of fearful murkiness save when the
red streaks of the flashing thunderbolt burst on
the dazzed eye, and glancng along the huge
trunk of the nobest tree in the immediate neigh
borhood, were instantly followed by an uproar
of cracking, and deafening sounds, rolling their
vollies in tumultuous eddies far and near, as if
to silence the very breathings of the uniformed
thought. How often, after such night when
far from my dear home, and deprived of the
presence of those nearest and dearest to my
heart, wearied, hungry, drenched, and 80 lone
ly and desolate as almost to question myself
why | was thus situated; when have seen the
fruits of my labor on the eve of being Destroy
ed rs the water collected into a stream, rushed
through my little camp, and forced me to stand
erect, shivering in acod fit, like that of severe
ague;; when | have been obliged to wait with
the patience of martyr for the return of day,
trying in vain to destroy the tormenting mus
quitoes, silently counting over the years of my
youth, doubling perhaps, if | ever again should
return to my home, and embrace my family
How often, as the first glimpse of morning
cleaned doubtingly among the dark masses Of
the forest-trees, has there come upon my ear,
thrilling along the sensitive chords which con-
meet that organ with the heart, the delightful
music of this harbinger of day; and how ferv-
emily on such occasions, have blessed the Be-
ing who formed the wood.thrush, and placed it
in those solitary forests, as if to console amid
my privations, to cheer my distressed mind and
to despair, whatever may be his situation, as he
can never be certain that aid and delverance are
not at hand.