Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
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Aquila chrysaetos.
Lake Umbagog, Maine.
1897. equal that descent. The big bird simply plunged headlong from
Sept.21. a height of at least one hundred yards with almost closed and
apparently stiffly held wings making a sound like that of a
gale of wind blowing through pine branches. Its momentum must
have been tremendous. How it checked its fearful speed before
reaching the earth or, indeed, just what happened after it
passed below the line of the fallen tops (15 or 20 ft. high)
I am unable to record but it certainly stooped at the Heron
and as certainly missed its aim for just as the Eagle disap-
peared the Heron set up an outrageous squawking and a moment
later was seen flying off at its best pace over the trees evi-
dently badly enough frightened. The Eagle did not attempt any
pursuit but presently it came floating back over us again,
this time so low down (certainly not above 60 or 70 yards)
that I was sorely tempted to fire at it. For an instant it
hung nearly motionless looking down at us curiously. Through
my glass I could see every detail of its coloring. It was
evidently a nearly mature individual with the golden brown of
the head not fully perfected however. It had no white what-
ever on the tail, whereas the bird that drove out the Ducks
erlier in the day had the basal half of the tail pure white
above. The latter bird was also much darker colored, the head
and body appearing to be almost jet black.
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