156 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



be almost unknown. The rufous markings are generally dis- 

 tributed pretty evenly over the egg, and are intermixed with 

 cloudings of a lighter brown, principally at the larger end of the 

 egg. In one clutch in the Seebohm collection, from Fin- 

 mark, the entire eggs are clouded with pale brown mottlings, 

 forming here and there large blotches. Axis, 2-1-2-35 ; diain., 

 1-65-1-8. 



THE TRUE EAGLES. GENUS AQUILA. 



Aquila, Briss. Orn. i. p. 419 (1760). 



Type. A. chrysaetus (L.). 



Eagles are found throughout the northern parts of both 

 Hemispheres, as far as Mexico in America, and in the Old 

 World throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia, but not extend- 

 ing into the Malayan regions or to Australia. The large size 

 of the Eagles is the best character by which our English species 

 can be distinguished, but the Lesser Spotted Eagle is an ex- 

 ception, as it is very little bigger than a Buzzard. It must 

 be remembered that all members of the genus Aquila have 

 feathered legs, and thus it is always easy to tell a True 

 Eagle from a Sea-Eagle, which has the legs devoid of fea- 

 thers. The claws, or talons, of the Eagles are also extremely 

 powerful, and fitted for taking large prey, presenting a marked 

 difference in strength to the talons of the Vultures, whose feet 

 are adapted for holding, not seizing, their prey. 



I. THE GOLDEN EAGLE. AQUILA CHRYSAETUS. 



Falco chrysaetus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 125 (1766). 



Aquila chrysaetus, Macg. Brit. B. iii. p. 204 (1840); Newt. ed. 



Yarr.'Brit. B. i. p. n (1871) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 



i. p. 235 (1874); Dresser, B. Eur. v. p. 533, pi. 345 (1880); 



Seeb. Brit. B. i. p. 96 (1883) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 96 



(1883) ; Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 317 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. 



Fig. Br. B. part xxv. (1893). 



(Plate XLV.) 



Adult Male. General colour above blackish-brown, often 

 with a very perceptible purplish gloss, the feathers of the 

 mantle and the wing-coverts with Daler edges ; quills blackish, 



