Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1913-12-04

lar nest was picturesquely situated on rocky
point of the Chalk Cliffs" northeast OF the geo
logically famous Square Butte, which, despite
tic modest name is an immense rock CONSTITUTE
ing an isolated spur of the H1ghwood MOUNTAINS
$500 feet above the prairie. In reality the SO
called Chalk Cliffs consist of an outcrop OF
white sandstone chiefly in the center of range
of grass-covered hills whose green summfs rise
in strong contrast above the white corrugated
rocks This sandstone stratum has been worn
into series of perpendicular cllns, pure WHITE
above but stained light brown below by lleni'ic
matter and projecting spurs are carved INTO IAN
tastic pinnacles and mounds. one promohtorE
in particular is regular saw-;ooth rluse nc
nest here shown is poised upon the apex OF Pill
1ar which terminates a knife blade projection
3575 feet high and suggests in some photographs
the prov of a ship AS there is sheer Verucai
descent on three sides and the surface Oh Tue
connecting ridge suddenly breaks OH, leaving a
wide assure in the rock between 1t and the nest
il is task of no small difficulty to reach the lat
ter and one best suited to sailor or cat II
can only be accomplished by approaching the
evrie from above and then crawling along the
ledge when, by dropping into and crossing Tue
gan (which is we'll shown In the photograph, the
nest can be attained Mr.. FELTON,, making nght
of the danger climbed frequently to the nest,
and made numerous exposures with a sHlah
camera at the range of a few feet The nest was
rour feet in height and three and half feet IN
diameter and was higher than any montana
eyries of the golden eagle known to me- when
snacies has also nestled in the Chalk Cins' TN
his recently published History or the blros Vi
colorado" Mr. W. H. Sclater mentions goloeh
eaole,s nest which measured six feet In diane
ter and nine feet high0 The hawks carried
green alfalfa to the nest for decorative purposes
and Mr. FELTON, noticed fresh supply there on
three separate occasions When found on May
18 the eyrie contained three newly hatched young
Int only two reached maturity, as one OF the
nestlinps disappeared on July when nity-two
days old Mr. FELTON, conjectured that 1t had
been blown out of the nest by violent thunder'
storm but the two stronger birds might nave
elected their weaker brother In any event, the
outcast would soon have been picked up ny some
four.footed or winged marauder The TWO re-
naming fedglings permanently left their nest on
Julv rs when about nine weeks old. WINE
watching at this nest, at two o'clock one atter.
mon Mr. FELTON, observed a great horned owl
Aving along the cliff face in an eastery drecuon'
THE owl passed close to the nestings. when one
NJ the soaring hawks, presumably the female' was
seen to swoop at and strike the interioper Whleh
tbereupon dved oblquely to the ground me
hawk made two more dashes at the sitting OWL
ond a short squabble ensued each time between
the birds; but when Mr. FELTON, reached the pace
tho owl was nowhere to be seen, and the hawk
had returned TO her nestlings. AS the great
horned owl is a powerful and ferocious BIRD
which even attacks and eats large hawks 'see