474 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



roughly papillose or subspiciilate; claws relatively large, strongly 

 curved, graduated in size, broadly grooved or concave beneath, 

 moderately acute, that of hallux (longest) decidedly longer than its 

 digit, that of outer toe (smallest) about half as long; no trace of web 

 between basal phalanges of outer and middle toes. 



Plumage and coloration. — Plumage in general compact, the contour 

 feathers distinctly outlined, those of head and neck (all around) 

 distinctly lanceolate; primaries and rectrices rigid. Adults plain 

 dusky, brown, the feathers with paler margins, the head and neck 

 paler (sometimes immaculate white), the tail and its coverts white; 

 bill and feet deep yellow, iris light yellow. Young dusky brown or 

 blackish, including head, neck, and tail, more or less variegated with 

 paler; bill blackish; feet pale yellowish; iris brown. Nestling plain 

 sooty grayish. 



Nidijication.— Nest on trees or rocks, very bulky, composed of 

 sticks, etc. ; eggs (2-3) immaculate white. 



Range. — Cosmopolitan, except for South America. (Six species; 

 only two of wliich occm* in North America.^- 



Type. — Haiiaeetus albicilla (Linnaeus). 



KEY TO THE AMERICAN SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF HALIAEETUS 



a. Tail wholly or chieflj' white. 

 b. Tail wholly white. 

 c. Head entirely white. 



d. Size larger; wings of male over 570 mm., of female usually over GOO 

 mm. (Alaska, Canada, northern parts of United States). 



H. leucocephalus washingtoniensis, ad. (p- 489) 

 dd. Size smaller; wings of male under 570 mm., of female under 600 mm. 

 (California to Virginia and southward). 



H. leucocephalus leucocephalus, ad. (p. 483) 

 cc. Head brown like body, sometimes splashed with white. 



d. Size larger; wings of male over 620 mm., of female 660 mm. or over 

 (Greenland; once off Massachusetts). 



H. albicilla groenlandica, ad. (p. 482) 

 dd. Size smaller; wings of male under 620 mm., of female under 660 mm. 



(N. Asia, Europe, Alaska) H. albicilla albicilla, ad. (p. 475) 



hb. Tail mottled with dark brown and white. 



c. Body plumage with considerable amount of whitish. 



H. leucocephalus and races, imm. (p. 484) 

 cc. Body plumage with isabelline or pale fulvous, not whitish, streaks. 



H. albicilla and races, imm. (p. 476) 

 aa. Tail not white or with very little white. 



b. General plumage very dark clove brown; remiges blackish brown. 



H. leucocephalus and races, juv, (p. 484) 

 bb. General plumage ochraceous-brown to fulvous. 



H. albicilla and races, juv. (p. 476) 



