100 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



It has been taken in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, and is said 

 to occur throughout Nebraska and Kansas, being even a com- 

 mon breeder in the western parts of these states. It should be 

 looked for in our western and northern prairie region, where it 

 will undoubtedly occur as an occasional transient visitant. It 

 is said to be easily recognized by its large size, pale ashy-colored 

 tail, and generally light-colored under parts, strongly contrast- 

 ing with its rufous legs (Bendire). 



349. Aquila chrysaetos (Linn.). Golden Eagle. 



Falco chrysaetos. Aquila canadensis. Aquila fvlva Nuttall. Ring-tailed 

 Eagle. 



Geog. Dist. — Northern Hemisphere; in America from Central 

 Mexico to the Arctic coast and Aleutian Islands ; chiefly western. 

 Breeds in mountainous regions. In winter irregularly over most 

 of United States. 



In Missouri now a rather rare winter visitant between October 

 1 and April 1. Formerly much more common, as attested by 

 the large number of mounted specimens in private collections 

 or used for ornamental purposes in public places. 



*352. Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linn.). Bald Eagle. 



Falco leucocephalus. Falco ossifragus. Falco Washingtonii. Aquila leu- 

 cocephala. Haliaetus Washingtoni. Bird of Washington. White-head- 

 ed Eagle. Black Eagle. Gray Eagle. American Eagle. (National Em- 

 blem). 



Geog. Dist. — ^Togethcr with the lately separated subspecies, 

 alascanus, Northern Bald Eagle, the whole of North America, 

 from Mexico to the arctic coast and from Newfoundland to 

 Kamchatka, the new subspecies inhabiting the region north of 

 the United States in summer, but going southward in winter. 

 Since the southern form, which formerly nested throughout its 

 range from Florida to California and from Texas to Minnesota 

 and Maine, is now driven out of most of its former breeding 

 grounds in the upper Mississippi and Missouri Valleys, the Bald 

 Eagles which still visit us in small numbers in fall, winter and 

 spring, are probably mostly of the Northern subspecies. 



That the Bald Eagle was formerly a well-known breeder along 

 all our larger rivers there is ample proof. On April 25, 1833, 

 when near the mouth of Nodaway River on his way up the Mis- 

 souri, Prince Max of Wied wrote in his Journal: ''White-headed 



