. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . never shall I forgetthe delight it gave me. Not even Herschel, when he dis-covered the famous planet which bears his name, couldhave experienced more happy feelings. To have sorne^-thing new to relate, to become yourself a contributor toscience, must excite the proudest emotions of the humanheart. We were on a trading voyage, ascending the UpperMississippi, the keen winter blasts whistled over our heads,and the cold from which I s
. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . never shall I forgetthe delight it gave me. Not even Herschel, when he dis-covered the famous planet which bears his name, couldhave experienced more happy feelings. To have sorne^-thing new to relate, to become yourself a contributor toscience, must excite the proudest emotions of the humanheart. We were on a trading voyage, ascending the UpperMississippi, the keen winter blasts whistled over our heads,and the cold from which I suffered, had, in a great degree,extinguished the deep interest which, at other seasons, thisriver has been wont to awake in me. I lay stretched be-side our patroon; the safety of the cargo was forgotten, and BIRD Or WASHINGTON. 185 the only thing that called forth my attention was the mul-titude of ducks, of different species, accompanied by vastflocks of swans, which from time to time would pass patroon, a Canadian, had been engaged many years inthe fur trade; he was a man of much intelligence, who,perceiving that birds had engaged my curiosity, seemed. only anxious to find some new object to divert me. TheSea Eagle flew over us. How fortunate! he exclaimed,* this is what I could have wished. Look, Sir! the great 17* - 186 BIRD OF WASHINGTON. Sea Eagle, and the only one I have seen since I left thelakes. I was instantly on my feet, and, having observedit attentively, concluded as I lost it in the distance, that itwas a species quite new to me. My patroon assured methat such birds were indeed rare ; that they sometimesfollowed the hunters, to feed on the entrails of animals theyhad killed, when the lakes were closed by the ice, but, whenopen they would dive in the day time after fish, and snatchthem up in the manner of the fishing hawk ; that theyroosted generally on the shelves of the rocks, where theybuild their nests, of which he had discovered several bythe quantity o
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidbookoforni, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1832
