The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-29
Habits and HauntS of
Bald-Headed Eagle.
YOUNG HARSHLY TREATED
Has Wonderful Sight and Lives TO a
Remarkable Age.
IN THE TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS.


Of late i'm the stories and novels of John
Fox, Charles Egbert Craddock and others,
have among other respect inspiring ma
tives many specimens Of the American ma
tional bird, the baldheaded eagle which
makes its eyre among the lofty aud ragged
clefts and cPags and pinnacles of the
ranges IL is found on the Stone noun
tain, the great Roanc, G,296 feet high, on
the Bald at $3.50 feet and the Great
Smoky range, which rises $3.50 feet, on
the Bullhead, and in many other lofty
places
For these splendid birds there is a never
failing demand and as result there are
many mountainocrs who have become ex-
pert catchers Of these mountain prizes, and
who often reap rich rewards in return for
pcrilous risks and daring adventures.
Young eagles bring from $40 to $50, and
occasionally 500, while eagles that are of
some age and Of great size cost as much as
$500, these being rarely captured, how
ever Eagles which are killed in the at
tempt TO capture them arc valuable TO tax
idermists who always find an easy mar
ket for these great stuffed birds. Their
feathers, especially those of wing and tail,
are likewise sold for good prices.
The eagle either builds its nest upon the
top of a mighty tree growing far up on
tho mountain among myriads of twining
vines and the thickest and most inaccess-
ible bushes or itrubs or on the summit of
high rock IL Is always a large one,
strongly ard comfortably built large
sticks and branches being laid together,
nearly fiat and bound with twining vines.
Tho spacious inside is covered with hair
and moses, so minutcly woven together
that no wind can penetrate.
In this abode the mother bird lays two
eggs, which are great curiosities. The
long end OF tho egg tapers down to point,
while its color is dirt or brownish red,
with many dots and spots upon IL. The
young birds are driven forth from the nest
by their savage parents to scratch for
themselves as soon as they are able to fly,
and no training whatever is given them
by the old bird That is left TO their in
stinct, which hunger and necessity develop.
There is no going back to the old home
for tho young eagle, for the mother bird
at once tears up every Yestigo of the nest
where they have thriven since birth, and,
while they emit plaintiye shricks, darts at
, them and pushes them off the crags or
rocks, and sS they must take To their
wings or fall this is how they learn To fly
at oncc. IL takes three years for young
eagle 10 gain its full and complete plum
age and for the development of its strength.
Once full grown, provided he does not
meet with violent death, an eagle should
live between so and 100 years
Up in the mountains the eagle finds IL as
hard TO gain subsistence as do the feath
cred grumblcrs of the plains below. The
precarousness of his existence and the
wild manner in which food is gathered
seem to give the bird greater ferocity the
older it grows. The eagles range among
the mountains and valleys in pairs, their
young noyor following, but doing the best
they can by themselves. The stern, un-
social tyranny of the older birds, begin
ming with the casting out of the caglcts,
manfcsts itself in later years in their
treatment of their mates.
III the male bird be the stronger, most
of the proy belongs to him, and he allows
the female TO eat but a paltry share be
tween fierce thrusts Of his boak. If the
female is the stronger land she generally
is), tho mulO bird covers and winccs Un
der many a fierce blow from his unfecling
wife no matter how small the morsel hC
is striving to get But when danger
threatens no human pair battle 20 for
midably ar themselves and each other as
do two eagles. 1t is noteworthy fact
that each male has but ono mate during
his lifetime If the female is Killed or cap
turcd, the surviving male becomes an
eagle hermit and fierccr than ever.
Eagles are often seen near their nests
together, but when the sun is shining they
frequently take their majestic flight
straight toward IL until they disappear
from sight. sitting upon the mountain
side their vision is so keen that they can
sec far down in the valley a sheep or young
goat, big turkey or rooster, n small pig,
rabbit or partridge, and almost instan
taneously they descend upon their victim.
Often when largo calf or goat Is to be
attacked and carried off four or six Of the
great birds will unite and remove the car
cass 10 safe spot, when they viii imme-
dately begin 10 fight it out to see which
Of them is entitled To the choicest bits,
and 1t is truly a survival Of the iittcst in
such combats rs these But an eagle Is
always confident Of his strength, and rare
ly ovorrcachos himself i'm such conflicts or
in his desire fer prey. When lingering by
the mountain rivers watching Tor ducks
or geese, or even fish, pair OF eagles will
display their natural shrewdncss. They
swoop from opposite directions upon the
fowl, which tries To escape by diving and
could outwit one eagle. But suddenly as
the bird comes 60 the surface Of tho water
the second eagle sciZcs him.
With its wonderful power of sight, COW
ering a radius oi miles, the eagle combines
a swiitncssi OF flight equally marvellous.
In "A single night and day full grown
eagle can fly 1000 miles. Oitontimes tho
visitor i'm tho Tennessee mountains can
just see him like little spcck in tho sky
moving restlossly and rapidly in majestic
circles about the crest OF q iaraway peak.
The sightsocrs and Mountainccts who love
10 watch eagles always choose the break Of
dawn or "A calm sunset Then they arc to
be seen Wheeling in circles and gliding
about Ina horizontal syccps just before
starting out OH days hunt or settling