HALIAETUS. SEA-EAGLE. 219 



fore part of the cere. Eyes large, with projecting superciliary 

 ridge ; eyelids edged with bristly feathers. Aperture of ear 

 rather large, and roundish. 



The body is robust and compact, of great breadth anteriorly ; 

 the neck of moderate length ; the head large, roundish, ovate. 

 The feet short, very strong ; the tarsus very short, feathered 

 halfway down, scaly in the rest of its extent, with anterior and 

 posterior scutella, the latter small. The toes are very stout ; 

 the first and second about equal, the fourth a little longer than 

 the second, the third or middle toe much longer, all scaly at 

 the base, and scutellate toward the end. Claws very large, 

 curved in the third of a circle, higher than broad, flattened on 

 the sides, broadly convex above, concave and marginate be- 

 neath, acute ; the first and second largest, the third with an 

 edge and a broad groove on the inner side. 



Plumage compact and imbricated. The space from the 

 eye to the cere thinly covered with very small bristle-feathers. 

 On the head and neck the feathers are lanceolate and acumi- 

 nate ; on the upper parts broadly ovate and rather obtuse ; 

 on the lower parts ovate, on the outer part of the tibia elon- 

 gated, on the tarsus small and soft. In the furcular region, 

 the feathers do not meet, but leave a space covered with 

 very soft down. Wings very long, broad, and rounded, 

 with thirty quills, of which the first is a little shorter than 

 the seventh, the second than the fifth, the third and fourth 

 longest ; the first seven with the outer web attenuated, and 

 the first five with the inner web emarginate ; the primaries 

 pointed, the secondaries very broad, and broadly obtuse, with 

 a minute tip. Tail of moderate length, extending consider- 

 ably beyond the tips of the wings, broad, rounded, of twelve 

 very broad feathers. 



This genus is composed of birds of large size, which fre- 

 quent the shores of the sea, lakes, and rivers, nestling in rocks 

 or on high trees, and feeding on carrion, fish, small quadru- 

 peds and reptiles. They are less bold and vigorous than the 

 true Eagles, somewhat sluggish, but yet possessed of great 

 strength, and when impelled by hunger they attack animals 

 of considerable size. Fish forms a great portion of their diet, 



