The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-17
EASTERN SHORE EAGLES.
Bold Marauders, Savage Fighters an
 Birds of WonderOus Flight.

Birds of WOndefOuS r llsul'
 .'The eagles of the Maryland coast said a native of the Eastern Shore' while not so numerous as they once were, are as fierce and bold ana aggressive as in the days when the farmers along the shore and upon the S1lsouehanna and Bay islands were compelled to employ shepherds to watch their flocks of sheep and protect them against the raids of those great winged marauders.
 "The farmers would be compelled to do the same to-day if they were slleep growers still, which they are not not a few of them having abandoned that branch of farming, in fact because or the trouble and expense of guarding their fiocks against eagles This was particularly the case in the spring, when the lambs were an important part of the flocks.
 "In spite of the shepherds even there were eagles bold and active ana alert enough to sWoop down, seize ana carry off many lambs, sometimes dropplhs upon one so close to shepherd that ne could feel the wind from the broad wings of the bird as 1t rose with JUS prey.
 '"The fiereeness of the eagles and the tenacity and power of the clutch or the talons are well illustrated by flSnt De- tween two big fellows that Captain Gal lup of EIaVre de Grace saw one day Captain Gallup, for more than two gen. erations a close observer of the manner and customs of the predatory birds or stern shore eagles can fly faster, soar higher, re- main in their lofty flight longer ana de- scend from it to the earth with more velocity than any other created thlng with wings.
 This battle that he saw was between the two eagles in the air at an elevation of five hundred feet, A long time the big. fierce birds fought with beak and talon and wing, rushing upon one an other. delivering their blows and re- treating for advantage in new attack.
 Then at last they clinched ana fought at close quarters. In that posi- tion they came plunging to the earth, but neither made any effort to stay the fall, so ffercely intent were they upon their savage battle. They struck to- gether in the freshly turned furroW ot a ploughed field, and the impact failed to separate them or cause an instant de- l lay in the fight.
 "It was continued with increased fury on the ground and the coming upon the scene of a man with club, with which i he at once took part in the battle, did not distract their attention from one another and the man killed them both. Their talons were buried so deeply in each other that to separate the two ca gles it was necessary to cut off their l legs.
 "A spread of wing of more than sev- l en feet is by no means uncommon with l these eagles Ospreys are also numer- l ous along the coast, and 1t Is familiar I sight to see one on it's way home with i some big fish it has enatched from the f shoa waters of the bay or among the l Susduehanna islands, waylaid by some ! overpowering freebooter of an eagle i that has been on the watch for chance and robbed of his prize.
 Frequently an eagle will try his own skill at fishing and bounce down on the carp that root on the bottom of the shoal water These fish are some times so large that the eagle is unable to lif' them from the water, but the bird IS SC l obstinate that it will not release Its ! hold, even when the fish carries 1t out into the deep. rough waters of the bay
 Eagles have been known to bf 1 drowned in that way by care they have set their stubborn talons into and eith- CT refuse or are unable to free then again, New York Sun.