FALCONIDJE DIURNAL RAPTORES. 485 



Haliseetus leucocephalus (Linn.) 



BALD EAGLE. 



Popular synonyms. "White-headed Eagle; Gray Eagle; American Sea Eagle; Bird of 

 Washington; Washington Eagle or Sea Eagle. 



Falco leucocephalus LINN. S. N. ed. 12, i, 1766, 124. WILS. Am. Orn. iv, 1811. 89, pi. 26. 



AUD. B. Am. 1831, 300, pi. 31; Orn. Biog. i, 1831, 160. 



Haliaetus leucocephalus STEPH. 1826. NUTT. Man. i,1832, 72. AUD. B. N. Am. i, 1840, 

 pi. 14; Synop. 1839, 10. CASS. inBaird's B. N. Am. 1858, 43. BATED, Cat. N. Am. B. 

 1859, No. 43. COUES, Key, 1872, 219; Check List, 1873. No. 362; 2d ed. 1882, No. 534; B. 

 N. W. 1874, 369. B. B. & E. Hist. N. Am. B. iii, 1874, 326. RIDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 

 1881, No. 451. 



Falco ossifragus WILS. Am. Orn. vii,1813, pi. 55,flg. 2 (= young). 

 Falco washingtonii AUD. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 1, i, 1828,115; Orn. Biog. i, 1831,58; B. Am. 



1831, pi. 11; ed. 1840, i, 53, pi. 13. 

 Falco washingtonianus NUTT. Man. i, 1832, 67. 

 Haliaetus washingtoni JAKD. 1832. AUD. Synop. 1839,10; B. Am. i, 1839, 53, pi. 13. 



HAB. Entire continent of North America, south to Mexico; northwest through the 

 Aleutian chain to Bering Island, Kamtschatka; breeding throughout. 



SP. CHAR. Adult. Entire head and neck, upper and lower tail-coverts, and tail, im- 

 maculate pure white. Rest of the plumage brownish black, the feathers fading toward 

 the edges, these paler borders being most conspicuous on the upper surface. Primaries 

 uniform deep black. Bill, cere, superciliary shield, and feet, deep chrome-yellow; iris 

 Naples yellow. Male, (No. 12,017, Philadelphia: C. Drexler): Wing, 22.00; tail, 10.50; cul- 

 men. 1.90; top of cere, .80; depth of bill, 1.30; tarsus, 3.00; middle toe, 2.60; outer, 2.00; 

 inner, 1.50; posterior, 1.30. Wing formula, 3=4-5, 2-6; 1=7. Female (No. 11.9S6. Philadel- 

 phia: C. Drexler): Wing, 25.00; tail, 12.75; culmen, 2.20; top of cere. .80; tarsus, 3.10; mid- 

 dle toe, 2.85. Wing formula, 3=4, 5-2-6-7-1, 8. 



Young, second year (?) (No. 58,977, Mount Carmel, Wabash county, Illinois, Decem- 

 ber. 1869: D. Ridgway). Head and neck brownish black, white beneath the surface, the 

 penicillate ones of the neck tipped with pale brown. Prevailing color of other portions 

 blackish brown inclining to umber on the dorsal region, wing-coverts, and lower parts; 

 all the feathers white at their roots, this much exposed on the lower parts, where the 

 brown forms tear-shaped terminal spots; axillars and lining of the wing white, each 

 feather of the latter region with a median lanceolate stripe of blackish brown. Primaries 

 and tail brownish black ; inner webs of secondaries and tail-feathers spattered longitudi- 

 nally with creamy white. Bill and cere black; iris brown; feet yellow. Wing, 25.50; tail, 

 15.00; culmen, 2.10; tarsus, 3.10; middle toe, 2.60. 



Young, first year (No. 41.595, eastern United States?). Whole plumage, nearly uni- 

 formly black, this very continuous above; beneath, the basal white is much exposed, 

 producing a somewhat spotted appearance. Primaries and tail deep black, the inner 

 webs of the latter sprinkled with cream color. 



Young in down (Washington, D. C.) Downy covering uniform deep sooty gray; the 

 sprouting feathers on wings, etc., all brownish black. 



The following measurements represent the average of the sexed 

 specimens which have been examined. It will be noticed that the 

 young of either sex exceed the adults in the length of the wing and 

 tail. Altogether more than sixty specimens have been inspected. 



