The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-03-26
THE KING OF BIRDS.
THE HABITS. HAUNTs AND
HOMES OF EAGLES.
Making the Young one. Tiy-It l. often
survival Of the Fittest In the Pierce
Combat for food EARRING or a
Calf.

Of John Fox Charles Egbert Craddock
and others. have among other respect
inspiring natives many specimens Of
the American national bird the bald
headed eagle. which makes rs eyrie
among the lofty and ragged clofts and
crags and plnnacles % the ranges. says
the New York Post Il Is found on the
Stone mountain. the great Roane. G .2g6
feet high. on the Bald at $3.50 feet. and
the Great smoky range. which rises
6.6sO feet. on the Bullhcad and In many
other lofty places. For these splendid
birds there Is a never-ialling demand.
and as a result there are many mount
aineers who have become expert catch
ers OF these mountain prizes and who
often reap rich rewards In return for
perilous 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 cap
tured. however. Eagles which are
killed In attempt TO capture them are
valuable 10 taXidermists. who always
find an easy market for these great
stuffed birds Their feathers. especially
those OF wing and tail. are likewise sold
for good prices. The eagle either builds
Us nest upon the top Of mighty tree
growing FAR mp In the mountain. amid
myriads Of twining vines and the thick
est and most inaccessible bushes or
shrubs, or on the summit OF a high
rock. Il Is always a large one. strongly
and comfortably built. large sticks and
branches being laid together. nearly fat
and bound with twining vines. The
spacious inside Is covered with hair and
NOSES 20 minutely woven together
that no wind can penetrate In this abode
the mother bird lays two eggs. which
are great curioslties. The long end OF
the egg tapers down TO a point. while
the color u a dirty or brownish red.
with many dots and spots upon Il. The
young birds are driven forth from the
nest by their savage parents 10 scratch
for themselves as soon as they are able
20 ny. and no training whatever Is Civ
en- them by the old bird. That Is left
70 their instinct. which hunger and ne
cessity develop. There Is no going
back to the old home for the young ca
gle. for the mother bird az once tears
up every vestlge Of the nest. where
they have thriven since birth. ana
while they emit plaintiye shrleks. darts
at them and pushes them on the crags
or rocks, and MS they must take 20 their
wings or fall. this IL how they learn 20
ny at once. II takes three years for "a
young eagle 10 gain Cos full and com
plete plumage. and for the development
Of IT'S strength. Once full grown. PRO
vided he does not meet with a violent
death. az eagle should live between 30
and 100 years. Up in the mountains
the eagle finds Il as hard TO gain sub
sistence as do the feathered grumblers
Of the plains below. The precarious-
ness OF his existence and the wild man
ner In which food Is gathered seem 20
give the bird greater ferocity 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, unsociable tyranny Of the older
birds. beginning with the casting out
Of the eaglets. manifests itself In later
years In their treatment OF their
mate9. II the male bird be the strong
er. most Of the prey belongs to him.
and he allows the female TO eat but a
paltry share between fierce thrusts Of
his beak. II the female is the strong
er land she generally lsl. the male bird
covers and winces under many a fierce
blow from bis unfesling wife. no mat
ter how small the morsel he is trying 70
get. But when danger threatens. no
human pair battle so formidable for
themselves and for each other as do
two eagles Il is a noteworthy fact
that each male has bu, one mate dur
ing his life time. II the female Is killed
or captured. the surviving male be-
comes an eagle hermit, and aercer than
ever.
nests together but when the sun Is
shining. they frequently take their ma
jestic flights straight toward Il. until
they disappear from sight Sitting up-
on the mountain side their vision Is so
keen they can see far down the valley
a sheep or young goat. a big turkey or
rooster, a small pig, rabbit. or par
fridge. and almost instantaneously they
descend upon their victim. Often. when
a large calf or goat Is to be attacked.
and carried on. four or six OF the great
birds will unite and remove the carcass
TO a safe spot, where they will lmme.
diaiely begin 10 Tight II out TO see which
OF them Is entitled TO the choicest bits.
and II Is truly a survival OF the fittest
in such combats as these. But an eagle
Is always confident OF his strength and
rarely oyerreaches himself in such con-
fiiets or In his desire for prey. When
lingering by the mountain rivers.
watching for ducks or geese or even
nsh. pair Of eagles will display their
natural shrewdness. They swoop from
opposite directions upon the fovl. which
tries 10 escape by diving, and could out.
wit one eagle but suddenly as the bird
comes 10 the surface Of the water the
second eagle seizes him.
With lis wonderful power OF sight.
covering radius Of miles. the eagle
combines a swlftness Of flight equally
marvellous. In n single night and day
a full grown eagle can fly 1000 miles.
oftentimes the visitor In Tennessee
mountains can just see him like a lit.
tie speok In the sky. moving restlessly
and rapidly In majestic circles about the
crest Of a far-away peak. The sight
seers and mountaineers who love 10
watch eagles always choose the break
Of dawn or a calm sunset. Then they
are to be seen wheeling in circles and
gliding about in horizontal sweeps. Just