GOLDEN EAGLE. 17 



In the menagerie at the Gardens of the Zoological Society 

 there are Golden Eagles and White-tailed Eagles ; but the 

 keepers find the Golden Eagles the most tractable of the two 

 species, and several instances have been recorded wherein the 

 latter have been trained to take Hares and Rabbits. In Central 

 Asia a large Eagle, called by the name of Bergut, Berkut, 

 or Bearcoot, and thought by some naturalists to be the 

 Aquila chrysaetus, is often used for the capture of Antelopes, 

 Foxes, and even Wolves. It is carried on horseback, or on 

 a perch between two men. It seizes the smaller animals by 

 the head with one foot, and by the haunch with the other. 

 The larger ones it attacks on the head alone. Such a bird, 

 when well trained, is valued by the Kirghiz, says Pallas, at 

 the price of two Camels. 



The whole length of an adult male Golden Eagle is nearly 

 three feet ; the adult female is still larger. The beak is 

 bluish horn-colour, darkest at the tip ; the cere yellow ; the 

 skin of the lore tinged with blue ; the irides hazel, the pupils 

 black ; the feathers on the top of the head and back of the 

 neck pointed in shape, and rufous-brown : the general colour 

 of the plumage of the body dark brown, the chin and throat 

 particularly so ; the wing-primaries nearly black, the second- 

 aries brownish-black ; the wing-coverts reddish-brown, varied 

 with dark brown ; the feathers of the belly and thighs bay ; 

 those of the tail varied with two shades of brown, the ends 

 dark : the legs covered with bay feathers ; the toes yellow 

 and reticulated, except the last or distal joint of each toe, 

 which is covered with three broad scales ; the claws are black, 

 the outer claw of each foot the smallest of the four. 



In a younger specimen of the Golden Eagle with the basal 

 or proximal half of the tail white, the feathers on the back 

 of the neck were less rufous, and the general colour of the 

 plumage on the body and wings more uniform, and darker. 

 In this state it is the Ring- tailed Eagle and Aquila fulva of 

 authors. White varieties of the Golden Eagle have been 

 seen and recorded. 



The Eagles of the mountains of Sainte Victoire, near Aix 

 in Provence, have been described as forming a distinct 



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