BATTLE BETWEEN EAGLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 258, 24 October 1908, Page 3

BATTLE BETWEEN EAGLES.

A well-known sportsman of Washington tells the following story of a tattle royal which lie witnessed 011 one of his flailing expeditions: ' o were sitting on the wide, shady porch of t'he house where we always put up when we go our little fishing excursions," said t'he doctor. "It was early in the morning, and we were enjoying a smoke sifter breakfast, preparatory to our daily iisliing, when our host put in his appearance. ' There's going to "be some fun around here in a little while,' j the old gentleman assured us, and as I we were anxious to know what amusiug things were on the tapis, he called our attention to a large tree near the bank of tlie river, where, on a dead limb, was perched a sagacious and complacent bald eagle.

"' That old codger,' said our friend, 'is perfectly well aware of the fact that a fish hawk is skirmishing about this region, anil up there in the sky, away up near the clouds, there is a grey eagle soaring around, and when these two j eagles and the fish hawk meet there'll be trouble brewing. Keep your eyes on old Baldy and you'll see something.' Of course we were on the alert, and the next thing that attracted our attention was the sight of a (isli hawk. He was pretty high up in the air, and making a whole series of curves. Suddenly lie was calmly suspended in the air, and alter a moment just as suddenly down lie went like ail arrow frjm a bow into the water, and emerged with a large-sized lisli of some kind. He actually screamed with delight as lie soared oil witli his prey. ''The old bald eagle, who had be?n constantly watching affairs, dashed down like a shot out of a catapult, The fish h-awk saw him, and there was a series of sublime aerial evolutions; but tile eagle bird was 100 quick, and the wise lisli hawk, not wishing, 1 suppose, to be ripped up the back by tlie talons of the other, dropped the fish and the eagle got it. He was going back to the- tree to eat his spoil when the grey eagle appeared on, the scene. Then there was a battle royal. The iiglit began in the air, and the fish was dropped by old bald-head. Then the two iierce creatures landed on the beach and kept up the struggle. 1 never saw sujli a tight between game cock s as these fellows put up. You could hear a sound like tlie snapping of a cart whip when tliey hit each other, and they hissed like steam engines, but the bald eagle'was the conqueror and drove the enemy away.

"And now," said the doctor, "I'm blessed if that old fish hawk, in the midst of the combat, didn't make ailother dive right in their sight, and fly away with another fish. H was a scene worth paying for.''—Washington Post.