Henninger-Jones — On Falcones of North America. 209 



AQUILA CHRYSAETOS (Spruengli). 

 Golden Eagle. 



Geographical Distribution. 



Breeds from Nova Scotia, Maine, central Ontario, Mani- 

 toba, South Dakota, western Texas, and central Mexico, north 

 to northern Labrador and northern Alaska ; also breeds south 

 in the Alleghenies to southwestern North Carolina, and also 

 in the northern part of the Ea.stern Hemisphere south to north- 

 ern Africa and the Himalayas. (Cooke). 

 Measurements. 



Extent 196 to 230 ctm. Male: length 83.82, wing 60.45, 

 tail 36.83, tarsus 9.40, culmen 3.94, middle toe 6.60, hind claw 

 6.8. 



Female: len.gth 96.52, wing 67.31, tail 40.21, tarsus 9.72, 

 culmen 4.52, middle toe 6.78. 



Diagnostic Marks. 



Large size, feathered tarsus, black color. In the field cannot 

 with certainty be distinguished from young Bald Eagle at a 

 distance. 



Plumage. 



Dark brown, lanceolate feathers of occiput and neck tawny 

 (hence "Golden" Eagle). Quills and tail blackish. Tail with 

 basal third whitish, outer two-thirds dark gray. Tarsus fully 

 feathered to the toes, lighter colored. 



Young: similar, only two-thirds of the tail pure white 

 (these distinctions have given the excuse for the so-called sub- 

 species fiilva by European writers). 



Flight and Habits. 



Contrary to the older writers, modern authors and observers 

 consider this eagle gentle and unsuspicious even at the nest, 

 only extreme hunger making them ferocious, as is the case 

 with most any animal or bird. A clean, noble looking bird, 

 keen of eyesight, powerful in flight, erect in posture, rather 

 shy and wary at all times, exceedingly swift. 



Food. 



In the west principally small rodents, as marmots, gophers. 



