EAGLES 235 



seems no reason why it should not have also appeared on the 

 scene. 



The species in question usually builds a very large bulky 

 nest of sticks and sods, lined with twigs and grass, and this is 

 situated on the shelf of some almost inaccessible cliff, or in 

 California in huge live oaks, sycamores and redwoods at quite 

 good elevations. The nesting season in California is in Feb- 

 ruary and March, probably not until April in Maine. 



The eggs are whitish, heavily marked with chestnut, umber 

 and lavender. Two is the usual number, occasionally three 

 and very rarely four. They measure about 2.97 x 2.37. The 

 same nest is usually occupied year after year, and the birds 

 are said to remain mated for life. The food consists of squir- 

 rels, rabbits, lambs, fawns, calves, turkeys, fowl, wild ducks 

 and geese, and similar large game. 



They also feed somewhat on carrion in California. The 

 tales of young children being carried away by Eagles which 

 . appear in the newspapers from time to time are almost without 

 exception fictitious, and should be relegated to a proper place 

 along with the hoop snake, glass snake, plunkus, side-hill 

 gouger and other mythical creatures of the wilds of Maine and 

 elsewhere. 



Genus HALI^ETUS Savigny. 



352. Haliccetus leiicocephalus (lamu.^ . Bald Eagle; White- 

 headed Eagle; Black Eagle; Gray Eagle; Washington's 

 Eagle. 



Plumage of adults : head, neck and tail pure white ; otherwise wholly 

 fuscous, the feathers often slightly edged with lighter ; bill yellow. Immature 

 plumage : bill black ; head and neck blackish ; otherwise mixed grayish 

 brown and blackish, more or less varied by whitish ; inner vanes of tail 

 feathers with more or less whitish. Wing of male 20.00 to 26.00 ; wing of 

 female 24.00 to 28.00; tarsus of male 3.00; tarsus of female 3.50. 



Geog. Dist.— Chiefly the United States ; resident and breeding where found. 



County Records. — Androscoggin ; fairly common summer resident, (John-, 

 son). Aroostook; local, at least three or four pair about the lakes of the 

 county, (Knight) . Cumberland ; summer resident, (Mead) . Franklin ; rare 



