1988 



THE DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY 



first three, have much white at their roots. In this state the bird is termed a 

 ' ' ring-tail. ' ' There is, however, a great amount of individual variation in the col- 

 oring of golden eagles. For instance, some old birds are almost uniformly dark 

 brown, and others golden brown, while in some the upper parts are blackish, and 

 the lower surface golden brown. In others again, the white at the base of the pri- 

 mary quills is retained, and in some cases the quills are banded. Very rarely white 

 individuals have been observed. In the Old World the range of the golden eagle 

 embraces the whole of Europe and Northern Asia, extending southward into North- 

 ern China and the Himalayas, while a few individuals straggle into Peninsular 

 India. The bird is common in Palestine during the winter, and is more rarety met 

 with in Arabia, Egypt, and Abyssinia, while it breeds in Algeria. It is now defi- 



GOI.DEN EAGLE'S EYRIE. 



nitely settled that the so-called Canadian eagle of North America is identical with 

 the Old- World species; its range extending from Alaska to California and Mexico. 

 The young of the American race are peculiarly light colored in the region of the 

 head and neck, and many American specimens attain a very large size, even up to 

 forty-one inches. Dr. Sharpe states, however, that nearly equally large examples 

 have been obtained from Northern India. In the United Kingdom the golden eagle 

 still holds its own to a limited extent in the Scottish islands, and probably also 

 breeds in some of the wilder mountainous districts of Ireland. 



Habits Generally a rock-haunting and cleft-nesting bird, in many parts of 



Lapland, Siberia, and the North-American prairies, the golden eagle 



frequents more open districts, where it is compelled to nest either in trees or on the 



