156 LAND BIRDS 



ing both plunged into the brook for a bath, and emerged 

 with every feather limp and dripping, to shake violently 

 and preen for half an hour. Then the plumage shone 

 with a tinge of tawny-gold in the sunlight, and the 

 glorious bird seemed worthy his name. 



352. BALD EAGLE. — Haliocetus leucocephalus. 

 Family ; The Falcons, Hawks, Eagles, etc. 



Length: Male 30.00-35.00 ; female 34.00-43.00 ; extent 7 feet. 



Adults: Head, neck, rump, and tail white; rest of plumage sooty 

 brown. 



Young : First year, black ; second and third 3'ears, mixed black and 

 white, gray and brown ; head and neck black. 



Doumy Young: Uniform sooty gray. 



Geographical Distribution: United States and Mexico. 



California Breeding Ramge : Among the Santa Barbara Islands and 

 locally along the coast. 



Breeding Season: December to April. 



Nest : Very bulky ; made of sticks and lined with rootlets, or rock 

 moss ; in trees from 20 to 90 feet up, or on cliffs. Same nest is occu- 

 pied year after year. 



Bggs: 2 ; ivory white, unmarked except by nest stain. Size 2.51 X 1.94. 



^' ' Here he is again. Here 's Old White-head robbing 

 the fish hawk.' I started from the fire and ran out to 

 look. The hawk had risen from the lake with a big- 

 fish, and was doing his best to get away to his nest, 

 where his young ones were clamoring. Over liim soared 

 the eagle, still as fate, and as sure, now dropping to 

 flap a wing in his faee or touch him gently with his 

 great talons, as if to say, ' Do you feel that ? If I grip 

 once, it will be the end of you and your fish together. 

 Better drop him peacefully ; you can catch another. 



