334 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



in Kentucky, was evidently a very large bird, apparently larger than 

 any specimen we have from Alaska. Peters also has the distribution 

 of the two races more nearly correct than that in the 1931 A. O. U. 

 check-list. A glance at table 2, giving the wing measurements 

 of 27 males and 26 females from various parts of North America, 

 will show that there is a gradual decrease in size from Alaska to 

 Florida. As it seems logical that the two races should be separated 

 at a point midway between the two extremes, the line should be 

 drawn somewhat south of North Carolina and the name TI. leuco- 

 cephalus leucocephalus should be restricted to birds of the Lower 

 Austral Zone. Thus its range would correspond approximately with 

 those of several other southern races. I have not seen enough mate- 

 rial from southern California to form a definite opinion, but what 

 little I have seen seems to indicate that the breeding birds of even 

 Lower California are referable to the northern race (see Q.gg meas- 

 urements). 



The largest two birds from Alaska measure exactly the same as 

 the largest two from Massachusetts, all four immature birds. It is 

 hardly likely that these Massachusetts birds came from Alaska, as 

 bald eagles usually do not migrate far from their breeding grounds ; 

 they were probably reared in Maine, where bald eagles breed com- 

 monly, as this species is very rare as a breeding bird north of New 

 England. 



Table 2. — Average wing measuretnents {in inches) of 27 males and 26 females of 

 Haliaeetns leucocephahis 



Locality 



Males 



Number 



wing 



average 



Females 



Number 



Wing 

 average 



Alaska.- - 



New England and New York 



North Carolina .-. 



Georgia and Florida 



24.07 

 23.33 

 23.60 

 20.83 



25.64 

 25.40 

 24.60 

 22.65 



When I visited Alaska in 1911, bald eagles were very common and 

 conspicuous all along the coasts of southern Alaska and on some of 

 the Aleutian Islands. While navigating the beautiful inside pas- 

 sages, from British Columbia northward, we noted that these fine 

 birds were prominent features in the landscape; where the moun- 

 tainous shores were heavily forested almost down to the water's 

 edge, their snow-white heads were conspicuous at a long distance in 

 sharp contrast against the dark-green background ; and some of them 

 were almost constantly in sight. About Unalaska they were espe- 

 cially abundant and not at all shy, frequently flying within easy 

 gunshot range. They were especially bold about their nesting 



