The Red Cloud chief., 1898-03-18
THE KING OF BIRDS
ftE HABITS. HAUNTS AND
HOMES OF EAGLES.
Mnking tho Young ones rs u L. ortcn
n survival ut the t,t,cst Ia the Fierce
Car.

~ a''''''.t'ti ''IltIt'lta anu liNA-
Aois'S OF Tennessee. which have figured
so often Of late in the stories and novels
CT John toN, Charles Egport ClddGock
and others, have among other respect
inspiring natives many specimens Of
the American national bird. the bald
headed eagle. which makes It's cyrie
among the lofty and ragged Cl,fts and
cra@s and pinnaclcs Of the ranges, says
The New York Post. 1t IL found on the
stone mountain. the great Roanc, COG
f,et high, on the Bald at $3.50 feet. and
the Grca, Smoky range. which rises
$3.50 feet. on the BullhCad and In many
other lofty places. For these splendid
birds there il n ncycr-tailing demand,
ana az Il result there are many moun.-
ainecrs who have become expert catch
ors or these mountain prizes aud who
OFTEN reap rich rewards in return for
porilCus risks and daring adventures.
loung eagles bring from $50 to $50. and
occasionally 800, while eagles that
are OF some age and of great site cost
as much as $500, these being rarely cap.
turcd. however. Eagles which are
Killed in attempt to capture them are
valuable to taxidermists, who alw.ys
hnd an easy market for these great
stuffed birds. Their feathers. especially
those or wing and tail. are likewise sold
FOR good prices. The eagle either builds
It's nest upon the top of Il mighty tree
growing far NJ in tn" mountain. amid
myriadS of ,wining vines and tho thick
est and most inaccessible bushes or
shrubs. or on the summit Of a high
rock. II Is always q large one, strongly
and comfortably built. large sticks and
branches being laid together. nearly flat
and bound with twining vines. The
spacious inside Is covered with hair aud
MOSES so minutoly woven together
that no wind can penetrate. In this abode
the mother bird lays two eggs, which
are great cn?iusitics. The long end of
the egg tapors down to a point. while
the color Is "a dirty or browuish rcd.
WITH many dots and spots upon il. The
young birds are driven forth from the
nest by their savage parents 10 scratch
FOR themselves az 500 as they are able
10 lily, ana no training whatever IL Civ
en- them by The old bird. That Ia left
to their instinct, which hunger and ne
ccssiiy develop. There Is no going
Jack TO the old home for the young ca
gle. for the mother bird nj once tears
up every Vestige of the nest. where
they have thrivcn since birth. and
while they emit plaintiyo shricks. darts
at them and pushes them of the crags
or rocks, and as they must take to their
wings or fail, this Is how they learn TO
lily at once. II takes three years for a
young eagle To gain its full and com
picte plumage, and for the DEVELOPMENT
OF It's strength. Once fun grown, pre-
rided he does not meet with a violent
death. an eagle should live between 50
ana 100 years. Up i'm the mountains
the eagle finds II as hard To gain sub
Bistcncc as do the fcathored grnmbIors
OF the plains below. The prccarious.
ness OF his existence and the wild man
ner in which food is gathered seem to
give the bird greater forocity the older
II grows. The eagle ranges among The
mountains and valleys in pairs, their
young never following them. but doing
the best they can by themselves. The
stern, unsociablc tyranny of the older
birds, beginning with the casting out
or the eaglnts. manifcsts itself In later
years in their treatment OF their
mates. II the male bird be the strong
sr. most Of the prey belongs TO him.
and he allows the female To eat but a
naltry share between fierce thrusts of
his bcak. II the female is the strong
~ ,and she generally isl. the male bird
covers and winces under many a fierce
blow from his unfecling wife, no mat
ter how small the morsel lie Is trying to
get. But when danger threatens, no
pair battle so formidable for
and for each other as do
,wo eagles. IL Is Il noteworthy fact
each male has but one mate dur
Ing his life time. II the female is killed
or captured. the surviving male be-
an eagle hermit, and hercer than
ever.
Eagles are often seen near their
rests together, but when the sun Is
,nining, they frequently take their ma
flights straight toward II, until
hey disappear from sight. Sitting nd
oa tho mountain side their vision is so
they can see far down the valley
4 sheep or young goat, Il big turkey or
IL small pig, a rabbit. or par-
and almost simultaneously they
upon their victim. Often. when
large calf or goat Is 10 be attacked.
md carried OFF, four or six OF the great
will unite and remove the carcass
o a safe spot, whore they will imme.
begin to fight 1t out 10 see which
them Is entitled to the choicest hits
II Is truly a survival OF the flttest
II such combats as these. But an eaple
s always confident of his strength and
'arely oyerreaches himself in such con.
iicts or In his desire for prey. When
lingering by the mountain rlvors
Watching for ducks or geese or even
ish. "A pair OF eagles will display their
shrewdness. They swoop from
opposite directions upon the fowl, which
pin, a. aeon a., -.