LESSON 52 The white-headed eagleThe white-headed or bald eagle takes the foremost place among the feathered tribes of America,both because he stands first in natural order, and because he has been selected by the people of the United States as a type of their nation.Their choice was, by-the-by, objected to by Benjamin Franklin, on the plea "that he is a bird of bad moral character, and does not get his living honestly."There was justice in the remark; for the bald eagle is a determined robber, and a perfect tyrant.He is, however, a magnificent bird. His wings, when expanded, measure nearly eight feet from tip to tip.His body is three and a half feet in length. His snow-white head,from which he takes his name, shines in the sun. He has a large hooked yellow beak, with which he tears his prey.The bald eagle preys chiefly on fish, but sometimes also on sea-fowl and other animals.He may often be seen darting down upon fish as they swim near the surface of the water.
