274 Bird Studies. 



This is a darker bird in general color than the Gray Gyrfalcon. The 



dusky coloring prevails on the top of the head. The back is usually brownish 



gray or slaty without definite barring, or obscurely marked. 



Faico rusticoius gyrfaico The tail is colorcd like the back with narrow and indis- 



(Linn.). tinct barring of bluish gray. The under parts are streaked 



whitish and dusky grayish, particularly on the sides and flanks. 



The Black Gyrfalcon has upper parts darker even than in its congener the 

 Gyrfalcon, and uniform or unbarred. The tail sometimes 

 Faico rustico'lTs obsoietu's shows brokcn or obscure barring. The Iowa- parts are 

 (Gmei.). much tkc suvte as the tipper parts in tone and color. 



The Golden Eajjle is found throug^hout the northern regions of the North- 



em Hemisphere. In North America it occurs at large, extending southward 



to Mexico. It is uncommon except in the more unsettled 



Golden Eagle, mountain regions. I have seen the birds in the vicinity 



Aquila chrysactos(Linn.). r a i -il xt i /^ l ■ r • J ^L 



of Asheville, North Larolma, on a few occasions, and they 

 are frequent throughout the great mountain ranges of the West. 



The feathering on the lozver part of the leg extends to the base of the toes. 

 The general color of the plumage is dusky brown. This is relieved by the 

 lighter yellowish brown color of the feathers of the head and neck, which are 

 pointed or lanceolate in shape. The tail is ivhite on the basal half or two 

 thirds, and the remainder is blackish. 



The eyes are light brown. The male bird is about two feet and six 

 inches long, and the female is some six inches longer. 



The Golden Eagle breeds on ledges or shelves of broken cliffs in remote 

 and generally inaccessible places. The eggs, two in number, vary from white, 

 almost immaculate, to dull white so heavily marked with varying shades of 

 brown as to be almost obscured. 



The birds, as I have observed them in Arizona, live mainly on the 

 smaller animals and larger ground birds of the region, but they also are car- 

 rion feeders, and the carcass of a dead steer or horse is almost sure to at- 

 tract them. 



This is one of the large, heavily built hawks that are characteristic of 



