The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-24
ME KING OF BIRDS.
&C AND AAuNTs OF THE BALD
HS0' HEADED EAGLE.

.,,..aerful sight ana
"'' I'm, Of young-Fieros Fights BE-
,ns captors over Prey
,o,n solitudes and fastnesses
The ino which have figured SO often
/ Of Ienpes, ina stories and novels or John
| Of laIe ~ ., e Eebert Craddock and others,
1 foz, Op" oo other respect inspiring ma
have ainon s,ecimens OF the American ma
4 tiyes iii .,.d tbe baldheaded eagle, which
tlonal ~, VI" oyrie among the lofty and ragged
makes 10 crors and plnnacles OF the
cle1S ""I T. is found on the Stone noun
ranges aroat Roane, 6,296 feet high, on
TAIN ~" Of 8. 800 feet, and the ureat
the paw noe which rises $3.50 feet, on
smoSy .rhoad and in many other iotty
places .,ond,d birds there is a never
ling demand, and as result .hore alo
o" nr mountaineers who nave oecoine eA
MAJ cotchers of these mountain prizes anu
PiS Otten reap rich rewards In return ior
Wn lVors risks and daring adventures,
EannS eagles bring from $40 to $780, ana
l'Oo s 800, while eagles that are Oh
oco's oga and of great size cost as much as
s soOS these being rarely captured, how
sov. Eagles which are killed In the at-
ever. % canture them are valuable to tax.
wpPs, who always find an easy mar
.uei bar these great stuffed birds. Their
soytS espe tally those of wing and toll.
loo. loo likewise sold for good prices.
The eagle either builds its nest upon the
- mighty tree growing far up on
,Ss maintain among myriads OF twihihg
Wv ond the thickest and most inaccess-
~" h,shes or shrubs or on the summit OF
''' S,rb rock IL Is always large one,
'..Drglv and comfortably built, large
$50 and branches being laid together.
early fat and bound with twining vines
Tho snacious inside is covered with hair
and mosses so infinitely woven together
that no wind can penetrate.
In this abode the mother bird lays two
eovs which are great curiosities. Inc
long end of the egg tapers down TO polnt,
while its color is dirt or brownish red,
with many dots and spots upon IT, Inc
vonno birds are driven forth from the nest
bv their savage parents to scratch for
Themselves as soon as they are able TO fly
and no training whatever is. given them
nv the old bird That Is left to their in
stinct which hunger and necessity develop.
There Is no going back to the old home
tor the Young eagle for the mother bird
at once tears up every vestige or the nest
where they have thriven since birth, and,
while they emit plaintiye shrieks, darts at
them and pushes them off the orags or
rocks and az they must take to their
wings or fall this is how they learn 10 fly
at once 1t takes three years for young
eagle to gain its full and complete plum
age and for the development of its strength.
Once full grown, provided he does not
meet with a violent death, an eagle should
live between 80 and 100 years.
Up in the mountains the eagle finds 1t rs
hard TO gain subsistence as do the feath-
cred grumblers of the plains below. The
righteousness Of his existence and the
wild manner IN which food Is gathered
seem to give the bird greater ferocity the
older 1t grows The eagles range among
the mountains and valleys in pairs, their
young never 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 eaglets,
manifests itself in later years in their
treatment of their mates.
II the male bird be the stronger, most
of the prey belongs to him, and he allows
the female to eat but paltry share be-
tween fierce thrusts Of his beak. II the
female is the stronger land she generally
Isl, the male bird covers and winces un
der many a fierce blow from his unfeeline
wife no matter how small the morsel hs
is striving to get But when danger
threatens no human pair battle go for
midably for themselves and each other al
do two eagles 1t Is noteworthy fac
that each male has but one mate during
his lifetime If the female is killed or cap
tpred the surviving male becomes al
eagle hermit and flercer than ever.
Eagles are often seen near their nest.
together, but when the sun is shining the,
frequently take their majestic nigh
straight toward it until they disappear
from sight Sitting upon the mountain
side their vision Is SO keen that they Cal
see far down in the valley sheep OF yount
goat, big turkey or rooster, q small mig
rabbit or partridge, and almost instan
taneously they descend upon their victim
often when large calf or goat Is to b
attacked and carried of four or six of tn
great birds will unite and remove the car
oass to safe spot, when they will imme
dlately begin to fight 1t out to see wh.c.
OF them Is entitled to the choicest bits
ana IL Is truly survival Of the fittest Il
such combats as these But an eagle !
always confident of his strength, and rare
overreaches himself in such conflicts o
IN his desire for prey. When lingering b
'he mountain rivers watching for duck
OK geese, or even fish, q pair Of eagles vii
uispiey their natural shrewdness The
swoop from opposite directions upon tn
iowi, which tries to escape by diving nm
could outwit one eagle. But suddenlna
the bird comes to the surface Of the waite
'ne second eagle seizes him.
with Its wonderful power Of sight. COY
ering radius of miles, the eagle combine
wiitness Of fight equally marvellous
~ single night and day full grow
eagie can lily 1000 miles. Oftentimes tn
visitor In the Tennessee mountains ca
Just see him like little speck In the SIX
moving restlessly and rapidly In majestl
o VI, about the crest of PARKWAY peal
Ine sightseers and mountaineers who Low
" watch eagles always choose the break {
lawn or calm sunset Then they are I
70 seen wheeling In circles and Glidin
auout In horizontal sweeps, just befoI
sVarting out on DAVIS hunt or settli In