156 LAND BIRDS 
ing both plunged into the brook for a bath, and emerged 
with every feather limp and dripping, to shake violently 
and preen for half an hour. Then the plumage shone 
with a tinge of tawny-gold in the sunlight, and the 
glorious bird seemed worthy his name. 
352, BALD EAGLE. — Halaétus leucocephatus. 
Famity : The Falcons, Hawks, Eagles, ete. 
Length: Male 30.00-35.00 ; female 34.00-43.00 ; extent 7 feet. 
Adults: Head, neck, rump, and tail white; rest of plumage sooty 
brown. 
Young: First year, black ; second and third years, mixed black and 
white, gray and brown ; head and neck black. 
Downy Young: Uniform sooty gray. 
Geographical Distribution: United States and Mexico. 
California Breeding Range: Among the Santa Barbara Islands and 
locally along the coast. 
Breeding Season: December to April. 
Nest: Very bulky; made of sticks and lined with rootlets, or rock 
moss ; in trees from 20 to 90 feet up, or on cliffs. Same nest is oceu- 
pied year after year. 
Eggs: 2; ivory white, unmarked except by nest stain. Size 2.51 X 1.94. 
“<FIERE he is again. Here ’s Old White-head robbing 
the fish hawk. I started from the fire and ran out to 
look. The hawk had risen from the lake with a big 
fish, and was doing his best to get away to his nest, 
where his young ones were clamoring. Over him soared 
the eagle, still as fate, and as sure, now dropping to 
flap a wing in his face or touch him gently with his 
great talons, as if to say, ‘Do you feel that? If I grip 
once, it will be the end of you and your fish together. 
Better drop him peacefully; you can catch another, 
ae ee See 
ee 
