134 VERTEBRATES: BIRDS. 



the under parts of the body. Younger specimens are 

 lighter in plumage. The Golden Eagle has great power 

 of flight, but not the speed of many of the falcons and 

 hawks, and does not so readily pursue and capture birds 

 upon the wing ; but its keen sight enables it to spy an 

 object of prey at a great distance, and with meteor-like 

 swiftness and unerring aim it falls upon its victim. At 

 times it soars to great heights, moving slowly and majes- 

 tically in broad circles. The nest of the Golden Eagle 

 is placed upon a shelf of a ragged and generally inacces- 

 sible precipice/ It is flat and very large, and consists of 

 dry sticks. The eggs are two in number, three and a 

 half inches long, and two and a half inches through, 

 and dull white with undefined patches of brown. The 

 Golden Eagle preys upon fawns, hares, wild turkeys, and 

 other large birds. It does not attain its full beauty of 

 plumage till the fourth year. The so-called Ring-tailed 

 Eagle is the present species before it has reached ma- 

 turity. The European Golden Eagle is so nearly like 

 the American one, that there is a question whether it is 

 not the same species. 



The Genus Halietus is characterized by large size, 

 strong and very robust form, slightly lobed upper man- 

 dible, tarsi short and naked, or only feathered for a short 

 distance below the joint of the tibia and tarsus, and 

 the toes covered with scales. Ten or twelve species are 

 known, all of which subsist mainly upon fishes. 



The Northern Sea-Eagle, H. pelagicus, Sieb., of the 

 northern parts of both continents, is the largest of all 

 the eagles. The female is forty-five inches long, and the 

 wing twenty-six inches. The frontal space, greater wing 

 coverts, abdomen, and tail are white ; all other parts of 

 the plumage, dark brown ; bill and legs, yellow. 



The Washington Eagle, H. Washington it, Jard., of 

 North America, is forty-three inches in length, the wing 



