On the contrary, the young hunters thought they had never seen a more splendid specimen of his kind,--of full feather, snow-white head and tail-tip, and broad clean-cut wings.

He was one of the largest size, too; which proved him not to be a "him," but a female--for, strange to say, Nature seems to have reversed her order with these birds--the females being universally brighter in plumage, larger in body, swifter of wing, stronger, and even fiercer than the males.

It may be inferred, that in the social life of "eagle-dom" the fair sex have their "rights," and perhaps a little more.
One thing is certain, and it seems to be a consequence of this (in compliment to the sex I say it) that nothing like polygamy is known amongst them.

Woe to the eagle husband that would even dream of such a thing! _Voila_! up goes the kite, straining every pinion of his pointed wings-- up the spiral curve, _screwing_ himself towards the zenith.

Upward follows the eagle, spirally as well, but in wider gyrations that embrace and seem to hold the curvatures of the other within their circumference.
Both birds circle concentrically.