48 RING-TAIL EAGLE. 



particular knowledge of its manners very difficult to be obtained. The 

 author has, once or twice, observed this bird sailing along the alpine 

 declivities of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, early in October, 

 and again, over the Highlands of Hudson's river, not far from West 

 Point. Its flight was easy, in high circuitous sweeps, its broad white 

 tail, tipped with brown, expanded like a fan. Near the settlements on 

 Hudson's Bay it is more common ; and is said to prey on hares, and 

 the various species of Grouse which abound there. Buffon observes, 

 that though other Eagles also prey upon hares, this species is a more 

 fatal enemy to those timid animals, Aviiich are the constant object of 

 their search, and the prey which they prefer. The Latins, after Pliny, 

 termed the Eagle Valeria, quasi valens viribus, because of its strength, 

 which appears greater than that of the other Eagles in proportion to its 

 size. 



The Ring-tail Eagle measures nearly three feet in length ; the bill is 

 of a brownish horn color ; the cere, sides of the mouth and feet yellow ; 

 iris of the eye reddish hazel, the eye turned considerably forwards ; 

 eyebrow remarkably prominent, projecting over the eye, and giving a 

 peculiar sternness to the aspect of the bird ; the crown is flat ; the 

 plumage of the head, throat and neck, long and pointed ; that on the 

 upper part of the head and neck very pale ferruginous ; fore part of 

 the crown black ; all the pointed feathers are shafted with black ; whole 

 upper parts dark blackish brown ; wings black ; tail rounded, long, of 

 a white or pale cream color minutely sprinkled Avith specks of ash and 

 dusky, and ending in a broad band of deep dark brown, of nearly one- 

 third its length ; chin, cheeks and throat, black ; whole lower parts a 

 deep dark brown, except the vent and inside of the thighs, which are 

 white, stained with brown ; legs thickly covered to the feet with brownish 

 white down or feathers ; claws black, very large, sharp and formidable, 

 the hind one full two inches Ion 2;. 



The Bing-tail Eagle is found in Russia, Switzerland, Germany, 

 France, Scotland, and the northern parts of America. As Marco Polo, 

 in his description of the customs of the Tartars, seems to allude to this 

 species, it may be said to inhabit the whole circuit of the arctic regions 

 of the globe. The Golden Eagle, on the contrary, is said to be found 

 only in the more warm and temperate countries of the ancient con- 

 tinent.* Later discoveries, however, have ascertained it to be also an 

 inhabitant of the United States. f 



* Buffon, vol, i., p. 56, Trans. 



t Naturalists beins no^v of opinion that the Ring-tail Eagle and the Golden Eagle 

 are the same, we add the following synonymes : — Yellow-headed Eagle, Arct. Zool. 

 No. 86. D.— Golden Eagle, Lath. Sijn. 1, 31, No. b.—Pl. Enl. 410.— Falco fulvus, 

 Ind. Orn. i.. No. 4 ; F. chrysaeios. Id. No. 8 ; F. melanonotus, Id. No. 26 ; F. 

 melanceetus, Id. No. 3. — Aigle royal, Tem i Man. d' Orn. i., p. 38. 



