GOLDEN EAGLE. 207 



six quills abruptly cut out on the inner, and gently attenuated 

 on the outer web ; the fourth longest, the third a quarter of an 

 inch shorter, the second an inch and a third shorter than the 

 fourth, the first five inches and a half shorter, and of the same 

 length as the eighth. The tail is of moderate length, nearly 

 straight, broad, and slightly rounded, the lateral feathers being 

 only three quarters of an inch shorter than the longest. 



The bill and claws are black, shaded toward the base into 

 greyish-blue ; the cere and soft skin at the base of the bill rich 

 yellow ; the bare part of the eyelids flesh-colour ; the iris hazel ; 

 the toes rich pure yellow, their soles of the same colour but 

 paler. The bristly feathers about the base of the bill are black. 

 The feathers of the upper part of the head, the hind part and 

 sides of the neck light yellowish-brown ; those of the inner and 

 fore part of the tibia, and of the tarsus all round, of alight reddish- 

 brown ; as are the lower tail-coverts. The general colour of the 

 rest of the plumage is deep-brown, glossed with purple ; the 

 edges of the wrings pale brownish-grey ; most of the wing-coverts 

 and the inner secondaries umber-brown, margined with paler. 

 Alula, primary coverts and primary quills brownish-black ; 

 their inner w^ebs irregularly barred with greyish-white, as are 

 both webs of most of the secondaries. The tail is dark brown, 

 blackish toward the end, but toward the base paler, with irre- 

 gular pale greyish-brown markings. On all parts of the body 

 the bases of the feathers are white ; the down on the breast, 

 abdomen, and sides pale grey, on the latter intermixed with 

 brown. 



Length to end of tail 33 inches ; extent of wings 72 ; bill 

 along the ridge 2f\, along the edge of lower mandible 2i^2, 

 cere ^■'^ ; wing from flexure 24 ; tail 12?; tarsus 4 ; first toe 

 l/^j its claw 2i^| ; second toe 1^1^, its claw 2^% ; third toe 

 2/g, its claw 1^ ; fourth toe l^g, its claw li^|. 



Female. — The female greatly exceeds the male in size, but 

 scarcely diffiers in colouring. One from Inverness-shire, which 

 w^eighed twelve pounds fourteen ounces, had the fifth quill 

 longest, the fourth next, the third and sixth scarcely shorter, 



