WHITE-TAILED SEA-EAGLE. 235 



black, with a purplish-grey tinge, the secondaries gradually 

 becoming more brown, and all faintly variegated with light 

 grey and brown on the inner webs. The tail is brownish- 

 black, with a tinge of grey, and more or less finely mottled 

 with whitish. The lower parts maybe described as brownish- 

 white, longitudinally streaked with dark-brown, there being 

 a lanceolate patch of the latter on each feather ; the lower 

 wing-coverts and feathers of the legs dark-brown ; the lower 

 surface of the quills bluish-grey ; the lower tail-coverts white, 

 tipped with brown ; the down on the breast pure white. 



At the first moult the light-brown becomes darker, and the 

 proportion of white is somewhat diminished, unless on the tail, 

 where it is on the contrary increased. The bill and claws are 

 still brownish-black, and the cere greenish-yellow. At each suc- 

 cessive moult the bill assumes a lighter tint, passing through 

 shades of brown, until it ultimately becomes i^ale-yellovv ; the 

 iris undergoes a similar change ; the proportion of white at 

 the base of the feathers diminishes, the dark part enlarges in 

 extent, but becomes paler ; the tail-feathers, which are at first 

 freckled with white, or brownish-white, become patched, and 

 finally, at the age of six or seven years, pure white. 



In an individual kept by Dr Neill, at Canonmills Cottage, 

 and which was procured by him in the autumn of 1827, in its 

 first plumage, the changes have taken place as above described ; 

 but in November 1839, when in perfect condition, the colour 

 of the plumage was purplish-grey, tinged with blue, the edges 

 of the feathers lighter ; the anterior parts paler ; the quills 

 greyish-black ; the tail pure white ; the bill and cere pale 

 greyish-yellow, the eye brownish -yellow, and the feet orano^e. 

 But the beautiful purplish-grey tint of this individual, al- 

 though sometimes seen in captive eagles, does not occur in 

 those enjoying their freedom. 



Remarks. — For the purpose of obtaining some general re- 

 sults by an extended comparison, it may here be well to re- 

 mark that in this species the bill and iris change from dusk}-- 

 brown to pale-yellow, and that the plumage, at first white at 

 the base, and dark-brown at the end, gradually loses its white. 



