89 



AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. 



THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 



The tail rounded, longer than the wings ; the head, 

 neck, and short tibial and tarsal feathers light yellowish- 

 brown ; the back and tail dark brown ; four scutella on 

 the first and third toes, three on the second and fourth. 

 The young birds dark brown, with the base of the tail 

 white. 



Male, — The male of the Golden Eagle is much 

 smaller than the female. Both have a more animated 

 appearance than the White-tailed Sea-Eagle, but espe- 

 cially the former, which in character resembles some of 

 the larger hawks. The body is robust, the neck of 

 moderate length, the head rather large, the wings long 

 and ample, but not extending when closed to the tip of 

 the tail, which is rather long, broad, and rounded, the 

 feet very robust, moderately long ; the tarsi feathered 

 to the toes, which are covered above with roundish 

 scales, excepting at the end, where there are four broad 

 plates on the first and third toes, and three on the se- 

 cond and fourth ; the claws large, roundish, curved, 

 acute, their lower surface flat and rather broad, that of 

 the third toe acutely marginate interiorly. 



The sides of the cere and a broad space from the bill 

 to the eye are covered with setiform feathers, which are 



H , 



