AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. _q 



. GENUS I. AQUILA. THE EAGLES. 



CJkv. Cii. Posterior manjin of sttirnum, indented with a wide, shallow scallop. Bill, slromj and curved, with the cut- 

 ting edge of upper mandible slightly lobed. Tail, considerably rounded. 



Membors of this genus are very large and s^trong and the coloi-s on both surfaces are generaUy dark with few or no con- 

 spicuous markings. There is but one .species found within our limits. 



AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. 



Golden Eagle. 



Aquila chrysaeius Linn., Syst. Nat., I; 1766, 125. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, very robust. Size, large. Tarsus, feathered to the toes. Sternum, stout, with the tip of keel round- 

 ed. Bill, strong and well-curved. Sexes, similar in color. 



CoLOK. Adult. General color throughout, dark-brown, with a purplish tinge, lightest on the head, neck, shoulders 

 tibia, and tarsus; darkest on the wings, tail, and under portions. Feathers of head, neck, tibia, and tarsus, tijjpad and 

 edged with deep yellowish-rufous. Base of tail, white. 



Young. Similar to the adult, but lighter everywhere and the basal two thirds of the tail is wliite. Iris and bill, 

 brown, cere and feet, yellow, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is a little variation in plumage, some specimens being darker or lighter than the type. In the transitional dress 

 between tlie adultand young, the tail is occasionally mottled with white. The young with the wide band of white on the 

 tail is the Ring-taiied Eagle of the older authors. This species may be recognized by the large size, wholly feathered tar- 

 sus, and colors as described. Distributed, as a constant resident, throughout the mountainous portions of North America. 



DUIENSIONS. 



Average measurements of female specimensfrom Eastern North America. Length, 37'15; stretch, 85'00; wing, 2I-00; 

 tail, iJ'OO; bill, T 05; tarsus, 4-52. Longe<t specimen, 38'GO; greatest extent of wing, 86-50; longest wing, 25 0(1: tail, Ifi-00; 

 bill, 1-75; t.irsus, 4"G0. Shortest specimen, 36'25; smallest extentof wing, 84'25; shortest wing, 230(': tail, 1400; bill, 1-50; 

 tarsus, 4'00. 



Average measurements of male specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 32-50; stretch, 83-00; wing, 21-75; 

 tail, 13-00; bill, 155; tarsus, 3-75. Longest specimen, 35-00; greatest extent of wing, 84-00; longe-t wing, 23-50; tail, 14-00; 

 b;il, 1-65; tarsus, 4-00. Shortest specimen, 30-00; smallest extent of wing, 82-CO; shortest wing, 20-50; tail, 1200; hill, 

 1-40; tarsus, 3.50. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on rocky shelves of steep cliffs. They are bulky structures, composed of sticks and twigs, arranged in a 

 compact manner. 



Eggs, one, two, or three, in number, varying from elliptical to spherical in form, dirty-white or creamy in color, oc- 

 casiimally immaculat?, but usually spotted and blotched with pale reddish-brown to which is sometimes added a faint tinge 

 of purplish. Dimensions, from 2-18x2-65 to 2-52x3-30. 



HABITS. 

 There are few birds of a large size upon which the settleoient of the country has had 

 so little effect as upon the Golden Eagles. As a rule, the inroads of civilization cause a 

 perceptible decrease in the numbers of rapacious birds but this is true only to a very limited 

 extent with the species now under consideration; indeed, it maybe questioned if there are 

 less Golden Eagles today in Eastern North America than there were when the Pilgrims 

 Linded ;it Plymouth. Nor has their disb-ibution changed much, if any, for they have cA-er 

 inhiibited almost inaccessible mountain cliffs. They seldom leave their rocky fastnesses 

 and when they do move from point to point, it is at a great elevation; and in addition to 

 this, when we consiiler that there are few birds in the world, whicli are more wtiry, we can 



