The Portland daily press., 1896-11-14

with the hom eless AMI outcast eaglet, Is
continued in later years with their
mates.
II the male bird be the stronger, the
most of the prey belongs to him, and he
allows the female to eat a paltry share
between fierce thrusts of his benk at her.
II the female Is the stronger land she
generally is). the male bird covers and
winces under many fierce blow from
his unfeeling wife, no matter hdk small
the morsel he gets. But when danger
threatens. no human pair can battle SO
fereely for each other as can two eagles.
The breeding season begins about March.
and each male has but one mate during
his entire life. II the female is killed or
captured, the surviving male becomes an
eagle hermit and fiercer th an ever.
: They are often seen near their nests
together, and when the sun is shining
take their majestic flights straight
toward that great ball Of fire until they
disappear from sight. Sitting upon the
mountain side, their vision is SO keen
that they eau see far down the valley a
she or Young goat, big turkey or zoos
ter, a small pig, rabbit, or large bird
and almost in the twinkling OF an eye
they descend suddenly upon their victim.
Que mighty grasp and twist of their
talons and the victim is dead, long be.
fore the eagle lays it down for repast.
An eagle can live two and three days,
and even fige days. upon a gorging meal.
They prey upon all sorts of large birds
fish, lambs, kids and goats. Ofuentimes
when large calf or goat is to be at
tackled and carried off, four or six of
them will unite and carry off the carcass,
fight it out to SEQ which Of them is entit-
led to the choicest bits, and it is truly q
survival of the fttest in such COM bats as
these.
An eagle Is always fully confide ent of
bis strength, and rarely overreaches him.
self in his rapacious desire for prey. The
minuteness of their vision, for they can
take in at searching glance the presence
of desirable prey in radius of many
miles on mountain, valley, forest,
swamp, or field, humanity cannot COM
prehend. With this wonderful power of
sight is combined swiftness OF flight
equally as wonderful. In single night
and in day full-grown eagle can fly q
thousand miles. The flight of an eagle
after prey is like flash of lightning,
and he rushes past like falling meteor.
descending with fearful force upon his
victim, which is staggered .at the blow
of his cruel talons. Oftentimes the visi-
tor In the Tennessee mountains can just
| see him like little speck in the sky,
moving in majestic curves about the
crest Of far-away peak. The sightseers
| and mountaineers who love to watch
them always choose the break of dawn
or q calm sunset. They whesl in circles
and glide about. in horizontal sweeps just
before starting out on days hunt or in
settling for the night
When lingering by the mountain rivers
wstchlng. for ducks or geese,.or even fish,
pair Of eagles will display their natural
shrewdness. They woop from opposite
| directions upon the fowl, which tries to
escape by diving, and could outwit one
eagle. but suddenly, as the fowl comes
to the surface of the water the second
eagle seizes him.
Eagles are captured by expert noun
taineers, who spy upon the parent bird
building her nest, and wait for the
| breeding season. After due time they
scale the mountains. and, we'll armed fol-
| HCh MI "a Yar,f
birds, go to these mountain eyries.
| Oftentimes four men are required to lei
one Of them down a steep precipice OF
cliff, while two of them, dead shots with
the rifle, shoot and kill the old birds
upon their first approach, for it fares III
with the daring robbsr who attempts te
secure the young birds with none to pro-
teor but himself. In this way are many
of the old birds killed for the taxider
mists or for feathers, while the eaglet'
are borne away and Gagged for good sale
An eagle captured at first is an uninter
esting prisoner. Frequently they uttel
coarse cries sullan and savage, breathing q
heavily and fercely all the while. TheiI
eyes dart fire and their low brows ani
fat foreheads are contorted into hatefu
expressions. They will dart fieroeiy a
the bars of their iron cages, and findins
themselves unable to reach their hatet
oaptors, draw themselves up and uttel
terrific plants and whinss. They art
always restless while in captivity, due
of course, to their natures. Rarely ar
oaale is captured In q hugs trap baitei
with a small lamb. Attempts have beef
made, too. in the Tennessee mountains
to capture them in nets, but this ia i'm
practicable, or else the mountaineer
prefer to capture them when young b,