FALCONir'.E — THE FALCD.NS. 



316 



featliors), distinctly dcfiiR'tl iiiraiiist tlio broad, imrc Mack, terminal zone; tarsi didl white, 

 elonded wilii dihile lirownisli ; iiisi<Ie iif tiliiie with leathers tippccl with white. 



You iKj female (older?) (!»,1'J1, Was]iinj,'ton, D. ('., Dec., lS,j(i; 15. Cros.>;). Similar, hut 

 black inoro brown; "mane" as in adult; tarsi dull whitish brown; lail-coverts (lee]i 

 iindii'r-brown ; tail as in younir male, lint, terminal band narrower, th(! white oecnpyiiifr 

 nearly the ba.';al two thirds. Wiiiir, -5.7(1; tail, 11. 7o; ciihnen, 1. ()."); middle toe, L'.Sil; 

 hind claw, 'J.liit. 



Had. Whole of North America north of Mexico ; most conuiion in mountainous re- 

 gions. 



I.IST OK SPKClMKNti KX.VMIN'flD. 



Natioii.il Jliiseun:, 8 ; Philadelphia Academy, 2 ; Boston Society, 2 ; Cambridge Muse- 

 um, 2 ; Coll. K. Ridgway. 2. Total, 10. 



\Sex. 



« 

 o 



j 9 I i'5.(IO-27.(Mt 



Wing. 



23.00 -24.50 



Ihil. 



Mednurcmriifs. 

 Ciilmen. 



Tarsun. \ Middle Tot. 

 14.00- 15.00 I l.,')0-l.()2 ;j.U5-3.80 



15.(K)-1().00 I 1.08-1.85 



4.15-4.20 



2.40-2.SO 

 2.55 - 2.80 



Specimens. 



A young male t'roin Massacliu.sotts (Xo. '.V^, l.exinj;toii ; Dr. S. Kueelaiul), 

 in the collection oi' the lUiston Society ol' Natural History, has the tail ])lain 

 black, tiie extreme liase and ti]) white. 



Thou"li the tloklen Eaiiles of North America ciin lie distin'mished bv the 

 chiiracters jiiveii in the diajiiiosis on p. ''Il2 iVom those of Etiroiie, the dif- 

 ferences are apjirecitible only on direct comparison. The American liird is 

 darker in all its shades of color, the diflerence beino; mo.st marked in the 

 youn_n' phnnaye, which in var. rliriimi'hi.'i has the tarsal features nearly white, 

 and in var. randdcni^i.^ light brown, the ))rown of other jxu'tions lieing also 

 considerably dtirker. The American l)ird aiipears to be nither the larger. 



H.MtiTS. The lling-tailed or CJolden Kagle of Xorth America is found 

 throughout the continent from the Atlantic to the I'acitic, and from New 

 jMe.xico to llio higher Arctic regions. 



In its geograjihical distril)ution, the Golden Eagle of North America ap- 

 ])ears to be chietly conlined to the mountainous regions, and the more north- 

 ern ])ortions, but to be nowlu-rti al)undant. Sir John llichardson saw but 

 few individuals in the Arctii' regions, nor does he appetu- ever to have met 

 with its ne.st. Individtud birds on the Atlantic coast have lieen occasionally 

 obtained, — oiu'c as far south as rhiladel])hia, tvice at Washington, — but 

 very rarely. Several sjiecimcnis a])ipear to have been obtained among the 

 mountains of Now Mexico by Dr. Henry's ]iartv. 



Although iu)t meutioued by either Dr. Heeriuann or Dr. Uambel in their 

 lists of the birds of Ciilifornia, it was found in Oregon by Dr. Townsend, and 

 is .said by Dr. ('oo])er to be (luite cominon in tihnost all jiarts of California 

 during the colder months. It is, however, mu.'h less numenms than the 

 White-headed Eagle. It is very much more a mountain bird, and its de- 

 scent into the i)lains or to the sea-c(mst is said to be (juite nire. Dr. Adol- 



