Class II. GOLDEN EAGLE. 163 



dered with tawny -, the hind part of the head in par- 

 ticular is of a bright ruft-color. 



The whole body, above as well as beneath, is of 

 a dark brown ; and the feathers on the back are 

 finely clouded with a deeper Ihade of the fame : the 

 wings, when clofed, reach to the end of the tail : 

 the quil feathers are of a chocolate color, the fliafts 

 white : the tail is of a deep brown, irregularly bar- 

 red and blotched with an obfcure afh color, and 

 ufually white at the roots of the feathers : the legs 

 are yellow, Ihort, and very flrong, being three in- 

 ches in circumference, and are feathered to the 

 very feet : the toes are covered with large fcales, 

 and armed with mod formidable claws, the mid- 

 dle of which are two inches long. 



Eacrles in general are very deftru6live to fawns, 

 lambs, kids, and all kind of game -, particularly in 

 the breeding feafon, when they bring a vaft quan- 

 tity of prey to their young. Smith, in his hiftory 

 o^ Kerry, relates that a poor man in that county got 

 a comfortable fubfillence for his family, during a 

 fummer of famine, out of an eagle's neft, by rob- 

 bing the eaglets of the food the old ones brought, 

 whofe attendance he protradled beyond the natural 

 time, by clipping the wings and retarding the flight 

 of the former. It is very uniafe to leave infants 

 in places where eagles frequent-, there being in- 

 ftances in Scotland'' of two being carried off by them, 

 but fortunately, 



* Martin's hijl. Wcjl. IJlcs, 2q9. Sib. hijf'. Scot. 14. 



Ilktlum 



