Bald Eagle 183 



absent, sometimes the egg is thickly blotched with 

 various shades of brown ; in size they average 2*95 x 2*3. 

 The Golden Eagle is a very early breeder. Gale states 

 that they begin to repair their nests towards the end 

 of February, and fresh eggs are found from March 10th 

 to April 10th. Dille gives March 1st as an average 

 date. Incubation lasts about thirty days, and the male 

 takes no part. Even it robbed, no second brood is 

 raised. In Gale's notes there is a curious notice of 

 finding two fresh eggs on September 3rd, 1893. If the 

 entry is correct, it must have been a quite abnormal 

 occurrence. 



Genus HALI^EETUS. 



Large birds, wings 22 — 24, resembling Aquila, but the tarsus only 

 feathered about half way down ; a few scutes on the lower half in front, 

 and n,o web between the middle and outer toes. 



About eight species of these Fishing Eagles are known, but there 

 is only one species in the United States. 



Bald Eagle. Haliceetus leucocephalus. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 352— Colorado Records— Allen 72, p. 181 ; 

 Drew 85, p. 17 ; Beckham 85, p. 143 ; Morrison 89, p. 65 ; Kellogg 90, 

 p. 87 ; Cooke, 97, pp. 76, 204 ; Henderson 03, p. 235 ; 09, p. 229 ; 

 Rockwell 08, p. 162 ; Warren 09, p. 14. 



Description. — Male — Head and neck all round, tail-coverts and 

 tail white ; rest of the pliunage dark brown of varying intensity ; 

 iris, bill and feet yellow. Length 32 ; wing 22 ; tail 11>5 ; culmen 3 ; 

 tarsus 3-4. 



The female is larger — wing 24, tail 12.75. Young birds in the first 

 year are nearly uniform black, but the feathers of the under-parts have 

 white bases which often show. In the second year they are brownish, 

 and there is a good deal of white both above and below ; the tail is 

 blackish, blotched with white ; iris brown, bill black, feet yellow. 

 The pure, white head and tail are only acquired in the third year. 



Distribution. — The whole of North America north of the Mexican 

 border including Lower California, the Aleutian and Commander 

 Isles and Kamchatka. 



The Bald Eagle is not generally so common in Colorado as the Golden, 

 though Sullivan found the former more abundant about Grand Junction 

 in the siunmer (Rockwell). It breeds more commonly in the mountains 



