The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-10-22

NISS p " lilN NdSN taiiSA pNND oNAl
and you can see the young eaglets
IN the home nest, while lowering
near above are the ever watchful
parent birds One could easily cast
a stone into the midst of these rocky
fortresses and thus destroy happy
family, but for the sake of national
pride let us hope that no narrow
minded mortal would cormit such a
base sacrileee on the emblem of our
country.
We have golden, black, bald, gray
and white eagles, but l think the
gray is generally accepted as the
nation bird. AS a rule he is the
most ferocious, bloodthirsty, cruel
and unmerciful TO all creatures that
run or fly. As chicken thief an
eagle has no equal, not excepting
the accomplished "colored gentle
man" from the South, but the eagle
certainly goes step further in
adding cruelty to thievery, which
can be well borne out by any one
who has ever seen the rascal coolly
crush the life out of an animal or
bird once within the power of his
talons.
No matter how the victim may
shrek, howl, wall or squirm, with
the utmost composure this typical
bird of freedom tortures and tears
the unfortunate prey and seems to
take fierce delight in prolorging
the suffering. But when the victim
has quieted down and ceases to
resist, then, with one powerful blow
OF its hooked beak, the throat is
severed as with dissecting knife,
and the carcass borne off to the
eyrie tor the young eaglets to feast
upon.
In the Northwest, when the land
and rivers are locked in the en-
brance of winter, no fish to be had
and no birds or animals to pornce
upon. this monarch Of mountain
solitudes descends to the valleys and
river bottoms in quest Of veal or
mutton, or even carrion is good
enough when fresh meat is not to be
had.
In Grant county. Oregon, during
the past winter one herder lost no
less than nine young lambs in a
single dav by depredating eagles.
Soaring at vast height, and with
an extraordinary power of vision,
the eagles modus operandi is to
select victim, and then, after cir
cling about two or three times.
make a sudden downward swoop,
which results in knocking some help
less little lamb sprawling on the
prairie. The momentum of the
swoop will not allow an immediate
seizing of the prey, but before the
latter can recover from the shock
Mr.. Eagle makes return swoop,
and this time picks up the lamb and
carries him off to be eaten at leisure.
In the Rocky Mountains eagles
seem to be usually numerous, espec-
tally among the Bitter Root peaks
in the Clark's Fork mining district,
the Big Horn, Cinnabar, and in
other of5hoots of the main range
they are to be seen at all seasons of
the year, circling to the sun and
preying upon whatever they can
find. Particularly among the crags
of rocky Cour d Alene have they
habited for years, for the pioneers of
that gold camp, penetrating far into
the recesses of the Bitter Root Valley
IN their search for the precious
metal, found on the banks of Pritch-
ards gulch numerous nests OF this
typical American bird. What name
could be more appropriate for the
first Cour d'Alene city than Eagle?
Eagle City it was named and the
town still bears its christening appel
lation.
We may prize the bird above all
others as the national symbol OF
liberty, but the true Rocky Mountain
eagle can never be to us what it is
to the natives OF the continent.
Among all Indian tribes from time
immemorial the eagle has been the
most valued and highly priced of all
things that fly, As an article Of
adornment its feathers had no pos.
sible substitute among the redmen
of North America. This feeling i~
not confined TO one or two
but includes ther