12 THE EAGLE. 



ORDER ACCIPITRES. 



The Golden or Royal Eagle. Ring-tailed Eagle. 

 Falco chrysaetos. LINV. Aquila chrysaetos. CUVIER. 



FROM amongst the diurnal birds of prey, we shall 

 select the most powerful and courageous of their 

 tribes, the eagles. They have strong beaks, 

 straight at the base, and bent only at the point. 

 Their legs are clothed with feathers: their wings 

 are as long as their tails. Their flight is both 

 high and rapid, and their courage exceeds that 

 of other birds. Such is Cuvier's description of 

 the eagles, properly so called. 



The eagle has often been called the king of 

 birds, and is, among the feathered race, what 

 the lion is among quadrupeds. Distinguish- 

 ed as he is by his lofty mien, his piercing eye, 

 and the air of commanding dignity which per- 

 vades his whole appearance, he may well be 

 termed a splendid bird. In fact, he has ever 

 been considered as a fit emblem of all that is 

 noble, magnificent, and powerful. Poets of all 

 ages have availed themselves of the striking 

 attributes of the eagle, and none more beautifully 



