86 BALD EAGLE— WHITE-HEADED EAGLE. 



preventing them from being confounded together, or even with 

 the Albicilla or Sea Eagle of Europe, which occurs in Greenland 

 — and one micjht occur here — the scutella or laroe scales on the 

 feet and toes are the best tests. The Golden Eagle has none on 

 the legs, and about three on each toe ; the Bald Eagle has usually 

 five on the leg, five on the inner toe, from eleven to thirteen upon 

 the middle, eight upon the outside, and five upon the behind toe. 

 These vary, especially upon the middle toe, and upon the leg ; but 

 a series of perhaps thirty gives this approximation. The greatest 

 variation occurs upon the tarsi on the leg, and though nearly every 

 specimen has five lateral scales upon the front, yet in some they 

 are so small and obsolete that they have to be looked for, whilst 

 in others they are very large, and extend nearly to the joints of 

 the front toes, as in Audubon's figure. This difference. Dr. Gilpin 

 says, is especially to be noticed, because Audubon makes " scutel- 

 lation on tarsi and toes continuous with their length," a specific 

 mark of his great Brown Eagle, H. ]Vashmgtoniensis, and he 

 figures it so in his great work. 



In fine, in any plumage our two Eagles may be at once dis- 

 tinguished by the legs, namely, feathered to the toes, Aquila 

 chrysaetus ; naked on the whole shank, Halideius leucocephalus. 

 The nest of the Bald Eagle is large and loosely constructed of 

 sticks — from three to five feet in length — turf or moss and rank 

 marsh grass. Sometimes these are five and six feet in diameter, 

 and being repaired and added to annually, grow to prodigious 

 proportions. The eggs are from three to four, dull white, and are 

 unmarked ; they are 3 inches long by 2.50 inches broad ; but this 

 size is subject to the same variations, as shown to belong to those 

 of the Golden Eagle. 



Sp. Char. Adult. Head, tail, and its upper and under coverts, white; rest of plumage 

 brownish-black, generally with the edges of the feathers paler. Bill, feet, and iris yellow. 



Younger. Entire plumige dark brown ; paler on the throat, edges of the feathers paler or 

 fulvous, especially below ; tail more or less mottled with white, which, as age advances, extends 

 over a large portion of the tail, especially on the inner webs. Hill brownish-black ; iris brown. 



Length, 30.00 to 43.00 ; extent, 7S.00 to SS.oo ; wing, 20.00 1025.00; tail, 13.00 to 15.00. 



This bird is accidental in Europe. 



