GENUS H A U^.TUS— FISHER EAGLES. 211 



inflicting mortal injury on any animal not exceeding a sheep 

 in size. It is with them that it deprives its prey of life, and 

 carries it off to its nest or to some convenient place of retreat. 

 With its curved bill it tears off the feathers and hair, sepa- 

 rates morsels of the flesh, and even crunches the bones of 

 small animals." 



The young differ from the old in plumage, the base of the 

 tail being white. 



There is no specimen in the Museum of the Cleveland 

 Academy of Natural Science, but Dr. Kirtland possesses a 

 skin. 



II. Genus HalixEtus, Savifftiy.—FisnEB. Eagles. 



Size, large ; tarsi short, naked, or feathered for a short 

 distance below the joint of the tibia and tarsi, and with 

 the toes covered with scales- Bill, large, strong, com- 

 pressed; margin oi upper mandible slightly festooned; 

 wings rather long, pointed; tail moderate; toes rather 

 long; claws very strong, curved, sharp. 



Of this genus there are four species indiginous to North 

 America, viz: The Northern Sea Eagle, H. 2}elagiGus ; 

 the Washington Eagle, IL WasMngtonii ; the Grey or 

 European Sea Eagle, H. AlhiGilla {?) and the Bald or 

 White Headed Eagle, H. leucocephalus. All preCer to 

 feed on fish, and frequent the shores of the ocean and 

 lakes, and the banks of the larger rivers, for that pur- 

 pose. They chase and destroy quadrupeds and birds, and 

 the last named species will kill and devour young pigs and 

 lambs. 



The H. pelagicus is the largest Eagle known, and fre- 

 quents the shores of the Pacific, from California to the 



