The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-06
Misunderstanding Eagle of the Philippines"

Editor The Tribune. From the fact
of my making ornithology my specially
| during two years spent in Mindanao my
attention was called TO an article in The
Sunday Tribune on the above subject.
After reading it / thought it worth
while to submit to The Tribune two of
the rarest and most interesting photo
graphs il has ever been the privilege
of any lover of bird study to own.
These pictures were taken by Captain
James w. Van Dusen of the medical
corps, u ). army. | submit two pic
tures TO show the depth and narrow
ness of the beak of the monkey-eating
eagle. when first placed in captivity.
ana after he had for many DAYS beaten
himself against his wire cage In vain
attempt 10 gain his freedom. The IL
lustrations will also show the amount %
imagination persons exercise when they
describe him as partly naked, j car
assure you, from the fact of having
cured two skins, that they are espe~
ciallr well covered with feathers.
Before | speak of the interesting
scientific data ! have concerning this
wonderful bird let me assure the reader
that one of the most humiliating ex-
periences | ever had in collecting birds,
! met In trying to secure one OF these
kings of birds. ] may add that | col
lected 400 birds in the ncighborhood
of Lake Lanao, Mindanao, p. l., as a
means of getting proper exercise. as
well as knowledge of the things about
me. Lieutenant Ward of the Fifteenth
infantry. until recently. and myself
were on the lake with two natives row
ing us. The part of the country along
that part of the shore was not friendly
and sometimes shots were fired al the
launches or boats coming near the shore.
Of course, this gave little spice to
our hunting.
Found Eagle Feeding.
[ caught sight. away ahead of MS.
of what | first supposed 10 be II deer
feeding on the shore. | pointed it out
TO the lieutenant and ordered the ma |
tiyes to try to get near enough for us !
TO shoot II was interesting TO see
them so row a boat as TO make good |
speed and Yet seem to he standing still |
When we came near the shore, the lake |
was shallow, but the natives as stealth !
lily rs snakes, slid over the side of the |
boat aud kept us moving towards the |
object of our envy, which we now knew |
to he one of much more worth than
many deer. BY this time, ! was much !
excited, because this was the bird of |
which the great Dean Worcester had |
written me and tried 10 induce me TO |
lei the bureau of sciences have the |
skin Of one | had sent to Manila He |
mad told me that there were only four |
or FIVE skins ever taken. and how he
had spent n day irving 10 get one he
had shot, which fell into canyon
whore he could not get il. and of an
other he had brought TO America and |
lost some way in shipping. ct seems
that this skin has since reached our
national museum). | wanted that bird |
and knew ] was within gunshot. So
anxious was /, that | feared To take
out The No, in my gun and replace
il with buckshot.
Bird Got Away,
The bird lid not seem TO he fearful
Of us. but allowed us To come within
what / considered Il fair distance for
shot ] motioned for the natives 10
stop and took careful aim. But, alas
my heart feels sick as think of the
result of that shot Mt this distant time
and place. That mighty bird rose as If
not hit | then fired the other barrel
and saw il cut his feathers, and yet il
scared away without n falter 10 die of
The wounds ! had given it. for it was
impossible for MS 10 follow 1t through
The thick tanges over which it had
Flown, even if it had been safe, ] never
had such feeling of humiliation. shame
and heartsickncss. | almost felt as