The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-09
New England Eagles.

New England Eagles.
The bald eagle is the larger and by far
| the more common OF the two species OF
eagles to be found In the Eastern States.
| IL is a handsome bird, and physically at
least worthy OF the great distinction IL
! enjoys by reason OF its adoption as the
| American national emblem. No other
| American bird OF its size has so wide a
geographical range. and but few have
! such great strength and powers OF flight.
| AS in the case OF many other birds OF
prey. the female is considerably larger
and more powerful than her mate, and
will measure perhaps three feet from the
tip OF her bill to the end of her tail. The
| outstretched wings have wide expanse
| In large specimen. upward OF eight feet
| from tip to tip, and on these the bird
can either fly rapidly forward. soar
height upon height until lost in the
clouds, or speed earthward with the ve-
| locity OF a meteor.
| The head neck and tail OF the adult
/ bald eagle are white: the rest OF the
| plumage is a deep brown The bill Is
| bright straw yellow. In miniature birds
| the entire plumage is brown, notified here
black. These young birds resemble gol-
| den eagles so closely that II is extremely
| difficult TO positively identify them,
but the golden eagles are so rare In the
Eastern states the chances are that any
| eagle we see is n bald eagle
| This bird Is almost always found near
the coast or I'm the vicinity OF some large
| river. where he can easily obtain fish
| which form the principal part OF his
| food. He can catch fish himself when
he wants to, but he knows easier ways
| than that TO obtain II. Fishing In an un-
| certain and laborious means of livelihood,
and the bald eagle Is not overfond OF
| work, especially when IL entails repeated
! plunges into cold water He knows that
| the fishhawk is a more skilful fisherman
| than he. and he knows that with his SUI
| perior strength II is an easy matter 10
! rob a fishhawk So as a highwayman
might watch, from some hillside. the APP
| proach of stage coach along the post
| read, the bald eagle, from some lofty
| crag or tall tree watches the movements
| OF fishhawk below him. The osprey
| wheels silently over the water searching
| the surface for that CLINT of silver which
| marks the position of his prey. Sudden
| ly he pauses in his sweeping flight ana
prepares TO descend. but perhaps the fish
| caught sight OF as suddenly glides down.
1 ward out of danger, and the osprey cir
cles away as before. Again the flash Of
| sunlight upon fin scales arrests his at
| tenton, and again he pauses in his flight.
Poised In the air above his intended
| victim he flaps his wings several times
| i'm quck succession. as though TO steady
| himself and then on half-closed pinions
he hurls himself downward. He strikes
the water with great force, throwing the
| spray high into the air There Is mo-
mentary struggle beneath the surface.
and then he emerges wet. but exultant.
with his prey. All this time the great
| bald eagle has marked with growing in
terest his every movement, and now tine
moment for action has arrived. With a
fierce scream he drops into the air, ana
sets sail In the wake OF the laboring fisn-
hawk. The latter attempts to rise and
thus avoid his savage foe. but handi-
capped as he Is with his struggling
freight. he Is quickly overtaken, and.
uttering cries which we must not trans
late into English, let's fall his hard-wvn
| prize. At once the eagle checks his
flight pauses Just long enough to take
good aim. and with a downward rush
snatches the falling fish In his talons ere
| IL touches the water. When there are no
fishhawks to rob. he hunts for himself.
and catches. besides fish. wild fowl some
times young lambs and pigs, and has
been known 20 attack even children.
Though he doubtless prefers fresh food.
when hungry, he Is not oversensitive. and
| preys upon the dead fish and other car
ron which is washed up on the shores.
Sometimes too. he drives away. the vul-
lures from the carcass which Is theirs by
right and keeps them of until he has
satisfied his hunger.
The nst OF the bald eagle II usuaY1y
built I'm n large tree, often in a swamp.
II Is bulky affair, made OF sticks, moss
hay, sods and rubbish. and. as IL IL re-
paired and ADDED TO year after year, II
soon becomes a very conspicuous black
txrn tv
ber and dull white in color. They meas
ure nearly three inches In length When
the Young are first hatched they are COW
cred with soft white down, which gradu-
ally gives way TO gray tone as the
plumage develops They do not arrive at
maturity for about four years, when
brown plumage is replaced on the head,
neck and tail by the whitefeathers OF
the adult bird.
Theg olden eagle is a bird Of the far
west, particularly OF the mountainous
districts. where IL makes nests usually
on rocky lodges along the cliffs lie oc-
caslonally makes his way east, where he
Is apt 20 be confused with the young OF
the bald eagle Al close range they may
, be distinguished by their feet-the tarsus
OF the golden eagle being wholly feath-
cred while that OF the bald eagle Is part
ly naked
Thief cd OF the golden eagle consists
chiefly of rabbits. lambs. fawns and other
mamals; grouse. wild turkeys, wild ducks
and other large birds: and when he Is
hungry he will stoop TO carrion.
Eagles probably live 10 great age. and
some have been credited with n hundred
years or more but II II q difficult matter
20 accurately observe the coming and
going Of any Wild creature through two
or three generations OF men. and much
careful data will have TO be collected
concerning these great birds before we