The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-19
EAGLES FOUND IN INDIANA.
The Various Species of the Majestic
Bird That Haunt This State.
A Natural Scientists Observations Regarding
Their Rapacity, Wanton Cruelty, Cum
ming and Other characteristics.

"a great many persons" said Professor Col
lett. 'who are considered we'll informed, seem to
think there are no eagles in Indiana The truth
Is, we have quite number, great many more
than we need. It was that sensible old utilita
rian. Benjamin Franklin, who suggested the
turkey as our national bird, objecting to the
proud eagle as unrepublican, because he had
been appropriated as the emblem of sovereignty
by a number of monarchcal powers. The poet
and the seer have given their finest fances and
inspirations to honor this bird, which, after all,
is the most cruel of all feathered robbers Some
times he is no daintier than the buzzard, and
will gorge himself with the vilest carriou. AS
to his cruelty he takes special delight in attack
ing some of the most harmless and innocent ami
mails He will pick out the eyes of lambs, ap-
parently more as a torture than for food.
have never heard Of case in Indiana where
man, woman or child was attacked by an eagle.
In my own neighborhood, in Vermilion county,
1 have known an eagle to tear out the eyes of a
dozen lambs, frightening the ewes and keeping
them at distance by Tapping their wings.
II never knew an eagle to attack an animal
that was capable of resistance. Not that
mean to say he is cowardly but he is wary.
The eagle, as commonly known, is solitary,
melancholy bird. He is usually alone in
his flights. soaring at great height because his
eye is capable of measuring great distances
Their nests are built of sticks
or brush, not we'll put together, on the
top of an inaccessible rock. or some
tail monarch of the forest. 1t is COM
monty believed that the occupation of
such tree for the nest of an eagle causes its
death; hence in story and in pictures, the eagle
nest tree is always shown as dead tree 1t is
not true that the eagles occupancy kills the
tree, but he chooses a dead or leafiess tree for
purposes of observation. Besides, The eggs in
the nest may have enemies-no: merely animals,
but birds, like jays and crows.
II have little doubt that persons occasionally
see eagles and mistake them for other birds, the
eagle being so rare. Perhaps. however, many
Of our oldest inhabitants have not seen mere
than one or two in lifetime. It seems that the
eagle, like the wild red man, requires large
hunting ground By sort of arrangement. a
territory of five or ten miles square, is
they do not sail in company. They al
ways keep the same territory, and the
same nesting place. For a long period, on the
Wabash, below M0ntezuma. there we'll
known eagle tree. There was another above the
mouth of Sugar creek, in Parke county. and
another rear the mouth of Coal creek in Fount
ain county might mention more, but cannot
now readily call them to mind,
We have Indiana the bald and the golden
eagles, the former the more common, the latter
extremely rare. Frequently. the females and
young males Of silvered or bald eagle
are mistaken for the golden and
other species All males of the bald
family are oruamented with a white crest after
attaining the age Of two years. Before that age
they cannot readily be distinguished from the
females in their more scmber plumage. NFor
many years had seen but few eagles, so / was
surprised to learn that on an adjoining farm to
INV iv1V ltnr Indi nit IN
two miles OF my residence. there was a bald
eagle assembly THAT it was held there every
night. and was the center to which eagles came
from a distance Of more than fifty miles in all
directions, for flight of fifty miles more
is nothing to this mighty winged bird.
They came In the dusk of evening, and doubtless
met for counsel and direction more than mere
compan ionship. AS the birds came in one after
another there would be shrieks of welcome and
noises very startling to listener This national
congress. as call it, has existed for period
that the mind of man runneth not to the con-
trAry. The roosts are on lofty, bare limbed syc-
amcres in very solitary place. By actual
count these eagles numbered ifty-three, of
which twentyfour were males and the re-
mainder either females or males that had not
reached the age of wearing the white crest.
why don't eagles increase IN number! Well,
everybody who gets a chance to kill an eagle
does sc. Another reason is that their nests
30 badly built as not to furnish security to eggs
In case of storm, and they are thrown down and
the eggs broken. / noticed in paper that an
eagle had recently been killed-in Greene
county think it was-that measured eleven
feet four inches from tip to tip of its wings.
The largest of which | have personal
knowledge was ten feet nine inches
from tip to tip l had a wounded eagle
for q pet for some time. He had
broken wing and could not fly He would hold
live chicken with one set of claws and tear it
into shteds. Hs was turned loqse in garden
and fed regularly every day, Cats, possums
Wounded king of the air. and it unlucky to
any strange dog to get within his majesty's
clutch He never could escape without leaving
slight testimonial in the. way of hair or hide
behind him. The brilliancy of the eye of the
eagle when angry is wonderful. 1t is dazzling
and magnificent in tsfury. ~