AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. 51 



divided into a sub-family Aquilina, genus Aqidla — hence the 

 Latin name Aquila Chrysaeta. 



The distinguishing characters of this sub-family consist in 

 superiority of size, in having the bill longer and straighter at the 

 base than in the more typical falcons, in which respect they 

 come nearer the vulture family. The feathers of the head and 

 neck are sharp-pointed. In some of the species the head and 

 throat are partially bare. Their legs are generally short and 

 muscular, their talons long, very strong, and much hooked. In 

 this sub-division are the most powerful and destructive birds of 

 the family, although some of them have more of the vulture in 

 their form and disposition, are less predaceous — often content to 

 feed on prey already dead, and, in some intances, on carrion. 

 This, however, does not apply to the golden eagle, which is the 

 only species of the sub-family found in Britain, is the largest 

 and noblest of all the European eagles, and, as a favourite of 

 Nature, is said to live a hundred years to carry on its mission of 

 murder. Having said this much about the sub-family in which 

 the golden eagle is placed, I shall now treat of his own generic 

 character. As usual with the sexes of this family the female is 

 much the largest, being from beak to end of tail 37 inches long, 

 and 87 inches in extent of wings ; while the male is only 

 33 inches from beak to end of tail, and 72 inches across from 

 wing to wing — the one ranging from 3 feet to 3 feet 3 inches 

 long, and from 7 feet to 8 feet across — the other from 2 feet 

 6 inches to 2 feet 10 inches, and from 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 

 across from the tips of the wings. Bewick mentions one killed 

 near Warkworth, which was 11 feet across the wings. The 

 female weighs from 12 to 16 pounds. The bill and claws are 

 nearly black, shaded at the base with greyish blue, with a yellow 

 cere, eyes large, deep sunk, and covered by projecting brows, 

 which gives him, even in confinement, a wild, truculent look ; 

 the iris bright hazel, almost chestnut. The bill is 2J inches 

 long, straight at the base, strong, and much hooked at the point, 

 the sides inclining upwards, forming a narrow ridge or culmen 

 — the tomia or cutting edges of the mandible having a faint lobe 

 near the base of the hook. The wings are ample and powerful, 

 reaching when closed to the end of the tail. The general 

 colour of the bird is deep brown, glossed with purple. The legs 

 are yellow, covered with feathers down to the toes, and measure 

 -3 inches round ; the thigh 7J inches ; the tarsus 4| inches 

 long ; the toes short but thick, and armed with long and very 

 sharp curved talons, grooved underneath — those on the outer 



