The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-04-01
The American Eagle.

There are several varieties of eagles
In the United States, but not all that
are commonly called By different names
are entitled to the separate distinc-
ton. The largest is Audubon's "Bird
of Washington" or Washington
Eagle, huge bird that has apparently
been seen by few persons but the great
naturalist himself, and which inhabits
the region of the Great Lakes and the
Upper Mississippi Its spr~ad Of
wings is over ten feet. 1t rarely comes
to New England; but DIR. Wood, the
the Connecticut ornithologist, in his
Birds of Connecticut" describes one
that was caught in steel tr ,p, in the
East Windsor meadows, just after a
Connecticut river fIeshet had left
thousands Of dead fish on land. On
these he was feas ting, in company
with two Bald Eagles" whom he
greatly surpassed in size. He was
killed, as was supposed, after being
caught, by blow on the head with a
club; but he recovered on being
thrown upon the grass, and flew awayj
He was nearly four feet long, and his
spread of wings was ten feet. The
nationel bird " of our country is the
80 called improperly so-called) Bald
Eagle-a bird whore head is as well
supplied, proportionately with feath-
ers as any part of his body but on he
head these are white, while the rest Ct
the bird, except the neck and tail, 10
quite dark. The female (who is all
ways the largest, in birds of prey),
often measures lree feet four inches
in length, with stretch of wings be-
tween seven and eight feet. 1t is in
correctly described in our cyclop@dias
as the largest of the fishing or sea
eagles" To say nothing of Audubon's
great bird, there is in Greenland land
in some parts of Europe) sea eagle a
little larger than the bald species.
The bald eagle (not uncommon here)
builds on cliffs and great trees nest
of coarse sticks, which is used by the
same pair, if undisturbed, for very
many years (they will live to the age
Of 120 or lao vears) and in this lati-
tude they lay their eggs after the mid.
de of January, and hatch out about
the middle OF February. The divers
tty Of coler between the young and
the adults occasions mistakes in NAM
ing them, and leads to the idea that
they are "sea eagles" "black eagles"
"gray eagles" etc. Doctor Franklin
objected to the adoption of the eagle as
our national bird, because of its preda-
tory habits, and suggested the turkey
instead. The golden eagle (which
may be the kind that was shot near
Riverton, and if so, it is rare and
valuable bird for ornithologists) Ia
seldom seen in Connecticut. Tt is a
magnificent bird, belonging in Europe
as well as in the United Sta es; 10
about as large as the bald eagle, and
derives Its name from the golden-red
feathers on its head and neck-the
rest of its plumage is rich, dark
brown. 1t lives about the Great Lakes
the Upper Mississippi, and to a less
extent among the White and Green
mountains of New Hampshire and
Vermont. There are about seventy
species Of eagles; and even of those in
America we cannot give all the names
and varieties. A dark eagle, not quite
so large as the bald, is common in
Connecticut. One ferocious kind,
found in Mexico and on the Isthmus.
is the harry eagle. The osprey is inn
properly classed among the true
eagles.