AQUILA. EAGLE. 



203 



bill is longer and higher, the feet larger, and the tarsi bare. 

 A still more distinctive character exists in the intestinal canal, 

 which is extremely elongated and narrow, with a singularly- 

 convoluted duodenum in Haliaetus, whereas in Aquila it is 

 short, rather wide, and with the duodenum of the usual form. 

 The Eagles are powerful and vigorous birds, rather heavy and 

 somewhat slow, like the Buzzards, but diiferingfroni the Hali- 

 aeti in feeding less on carrion than on animals killed by them- 

 selves. They nestle in rocks, whether on the sea-shore or in 

 the interior, prefer mountainous regions, and are generally dis- 

 tributed, one or more species occurring in every known region. 

 In Britain only one is met with, which is now almost entirely 

 confined to the northern parts, 



I have ascertained, by comparing birds shot in winter with 

 those newly fledged, that the young retain their first plumage 

 until the following spring, or, at least, that the colouring of 

 their winter plumage is similar to that of their first state. The 

 Foot here represented, and the Head on the following page, 

 are those of a young male shot in winter. 



