DIRECTORY TO BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 107 



World; in the U. S. breeds chiefly in mountainous parts of 

 unsettled districts. Nests on cliffs; eggs, 2, white spotted 

 with brown. Resident. 



F. FISH EAGLES. Haliaetidae. 



Large birds with the tarsus naked and the tail at least 

 white in adults ; food, very largely fish ; flight, strong and di- 

 rect, wing-beats rather slow ; often circle high in air. Cries, 

 harsh and loud. Nests often in trees, sometimes on cliffs; 

 eggs, 2 to 3, white, unspotted. 



a. White-tailed Eag-les. Haliaetus. 



Characters as above. 



1. BALD EAGLE, H. leucocephalus. Male, 32.00; 

 female, 37.00; dark-brown; head, neck, and tail, white; iris, 

 bill, and feet, yellow. Young, brown throughout. U. S., 

 breeding in the unsettled districts. Alarm note, a cackling 

 cry. Frequently robs the osprey of flsh, when it moves with 

 a rapid flight with quick wing-beats. Resident, fig. 204. 



1*. NORTHERN BALD EAGLE, H. l. alascanus. Dif- 

 fers from 1 in being larger. N. A. north of the U. S. 



2. GRAY SEA EAGLE, H. albicilla. Differs from 1 

 in having the head always brown. Northern Europe, Asia, 

 and Greenland. 



G. OSPREYS. Pandionidae. 



I-arge birds with strong feet and naked tarsi, very long 

 wings and rather short tails, which feed wholly on fish. 

 Flight, strong, direct with slow wing-beats. Often sail in cir- 

 cles over water; fish by dropping directly downward and the 

 secured fish is carried head forward. Nests, in trees ; eggs, 

 3 to 5, creamy thickly spotted and blotched with reddish. 

 Cries, shrill, whistling screams. 



a. Fish Hawks. Pandion. 



Characters as above. 



1. AMERICAN OSPREY, P. CAROLINENSIS. Male, 22.00: 

 female, 24.00; sides of head and under parts, white with a 

 band of spots crossing breast ; line through eye and above, 



