Birds of Massachusetts. ra 
Audubon was able to obtain a specimen, when he 
found that his conjectures were correct, and that it 
was neither the brown or sca eagle, as Wilson calls 
the young of the white-headed, not knowing that it 
was an immature bird ; nor was it the true sea eagle, 
Falco albicilla, which it more resembles. From the 
latter it is distinguished by its greater size, and by 
the greater length of the tail, which in F. albicilla 
does not extend beyond the folded wings. 
The favorite residence of this bird is in the rocky 
solitudes near the great lakes, where it is seen flying 
in broad circles near the land or the surface of the 
water: when about to dive, it descends in spiral 
rounds, keeping its eye upon the fish, and comes very 
near it before it makes its plunge; when rising, it 
flies low, to a considerable distance, and then de- 
vours its victim at leisure. When the severity of 
winter closes the water and abridges its means of 
subsistence, it sometimes wanders into New England, 
and in January and February, the coldest months in 
our year, it is occasionally seen within our bounds. 
The WnurrengApED or Bar» Eacrz, Falco leuco- 
cephalus, is the most familiarly known of all the 
eagles. Against the remonstrances of Franklin, it 
was adopted as the emblem of our country, an honor 
to which it was entitled, if not by its character, at 
least by residence, since it is found in every part of 
the Union, leaving the colder latitudes to the sterner 
and hardier of the race. It manifests a preference 
for the warmer parts of the couDiry, but all who live 
VOL. I.—NO. I-II. 140. 
