ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 215 



specimen under consideration, in whicli it differs from all the other 

 specimens of both H. leucocephalus and aWicilla, viz, the great length 

 of the culmen of the cere, as also the great breadth of the back of the 

 bill, just between the horny part and the frontal feathering. The 

 former dimension is 20^^, and the latter, as measured at the middle, 

 is 13™™, figures considerably larger than the maximum dimensions of 

 even the most gigantic specimens at my command. 



Ko satisfactory explanation having as yet been found for the curious 

 concomitancy of the new dark tail-feathers with the yellowish irides and 

 the rather light colored cere, I only reiterate Mr. Ridgway's remarks 

 {I. c, p. 91, foot note) : 



" The middle rectrices have been moulted, and those of the new dress 

 are just making their appearance. They are even darker in color than the 

 old ones, although similarly marked, which would indicate either that the 

 individual in question would not have attained its perfect plumage the 

 next year, or else that the adult does not have a white tail. That the 

 specimen is not in its first year is clearly indicated by the character of 

 the plumage, as well as by the date of its capture (May 15) ; while that 

 it is probably more, than two years old is strongly suggested by the light 

 color of the bill and cere which in U. alhicilla and H. leucocephalus do 

 not become yellowish until the bird begins to assume a portion of its 

 adult livery." 



The most striking feature of the bird, however, is the general white 

 color of the plumage, and after having examined the ample material of 

 the National Museum I must still repeat what I said when first calling 

 attention to the bird, viz, that " I have never seen a young Haliaetus 

 with the whole lower surface almost white, and the upper side with dark 

 tips and edgings on a whitish bottom, such as my No. 1055." [L. c, p. 

 67.) 



It is but fair to state, however, that I have seen a bird, a young 

 female leucocephalus, which was shot in Virginia April 8, 1884, by Col. 

 M. McDonald, which, in regard to general coloration, is intermediate 

 between the average style of leucocephalus and my bird. Still there is 

 a considerable distance between the two specimens. They are appar- 

 ently of about the same age, but the Virginia bird had the usual dark 

 bill and cere, and brown irides, and the proportions, both of body and 

 bill, are normal. 



If the present bird is nothing more than a very extraordinary indi- 

 vidual variety of II. leucocephalus, its true habitat is somewhere outside 



