BIRDS AQUILINAE AQUILA. CANADENSIS. 



41 



Sub-Family AQUILINAE.— T h e Eagles. 



Size large, and all parts very strongly organized. Bill large, compressed, straight at base, 

 curved and acute at tip ; wings long, pointed ; tail ample, generally rounded ; tarsi moderate, 

 very strong ; claws curved, very sharp and strong. There are about seventy species of eagles, 

 of all countries. 



AQUILA, Moehring. 



^quila, MoEHRiKG, Av. Gen. p. 49, (1752.) 



General form large and very strong, and adapted to long continued and swift flight. Bill large, strong, compressed, and 

 hooked at the tip ; wings long, pointed ; tarsi rather short, very strong, feathered to the toes ; claws sharp, strong, curved. 

 This genus includes about twenty species, whi;h are regarded as the true eagles. 



AQUILA CANADENSIS, Linnaeus, 

 The Golden Eagle ; The Ring Tailed Eagle. 



Fttlco canadensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 125, (1766.) 



Filco niger, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 259, (1788.'} 



^quila nobilis, Pallas, Zoog. Ross. As. I, 338, (1811.') 



Figures. — Wilson Am. Orn. pi. 55, fig, 1 ; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 181 ; Oct. ed. I, pi. 12. 



^diUt. — Large ; tarsi densely feathered to the toes. Head and neck behind light brownish fulvous, varying in shade in 

 different specimens, frequently light orange fulvous, generally darker. Tail at base white, which color frequently occupies the 

 greater part of the tail ; other terminal portion glossy black. All other parts rich purplish brown, frequently very dark, and 

 nearly clear black on the under parts of the body. Primaries shining black ; secondaries purplish brown ; tibiffi and tarsi 

 brownish fulvous, generally mixed with dark ashy ; cere and toes yellow. 



Younger. — Entire plumage lighter, and mixed with dull fulvous ; under parts of the body nearly uniform with the upper 

 parts. 



Total length, female, 33 to 40 inches, wing about 25, tail about 15 inches. Male, total length 30 to 35 inches, wing 20 to 

 23, tail 12 to 14 inches. 



Ji<A. — All of North America. Spec, in Nat. Mus., Washington, and Mus. Acad., Philadelphia. 



The golden eagle, or ring tailed eagle, as it is more commonly called, inhabits the whole of 

 North America. It has usually been regarded as the same as the European, but presents points 

 of difference, which are very probably sufficient to warrant the original distinctive appellation 

 given by Linnaeus. 



lAst of specimens. 



6 b 



^ Weight 9 pounds. 



