62 



BIRD OF WASHINGTON. 



chase it with a view to carry it to Europe, but the price put upon it was 

 above my means. 



My excellent friend Richaed Harlak, M. D. of that city, speaking 

 of this bird in a letter dated " Philadelphia, August 19, 1830," says, 

 " That fine specimen of Washington Eagle, which you noticed in Braxo's 

 museum, is at present in my possession. I have deposited it in the Aca- 

 demy, where it will most likely remain." I saw the specimen alluded to, 

 which, in as far as I could observe, agreed in size and markings exactly 

 with my drawing, to which, however, I could not at the time refer, as it 

 was, with the whole of my collection, deposited in the British Museum, 

 under the care of my ever kind and esteemed friend J. G. Children, Esq. 

 of that Institution. 



The glands containing the oil used for the purpose of anointing the 

 surface of the plumage were, in the specimen represented in the plate, ex- 

 tremely large. Their contents had the appearance of hog's lard, which 

 had been melted and become rancid. This bird makes more copious use 

 of that substance than the White-headed Eagle, or any of the tribe to 

 which it belongs, excepting the Fish-hawk, the whole plumage looking, 

 upon close examination, as if it had received a general coating of a thin 

 clear dilution of gum-arabic, and presenting less of the downy gloss ex- 

 hibited in the upper part of the White-headed Eagle's plumage. The 

 male bird weighs 1 4^ lb. avoirdupois, and measures 3 feet 7 inches in 

 length, and 10 feet 2 inches in extent. 



Falco AVashingtonit. 



Adult Male. Plate XI. 



Bill shortish, very deep, compressed ; upper mandible with the dor- 

 sal outline forming the third of a circle, rounded above, sloping and flat- 

 tish on the sides, nearly straight with a slight obtuse process, on the 

 acute, overlapping edges, the tip deflected, trigonal, acute, at its lower 

 part perpendicular to the gap line ; lower mandible convex in its dorsal 

 outline, with inflected acute edges, which are deflected at the end. A 

 naked cere, in the fore part of which are the oblong, oblique, nearly 

 dorsal, open nostrils, which have a process from the anterior margin, 

 Head rather large, flat above. Neck robust, of ordinary length. TJody 

 ovate. Feet rather short, with the leg long, the tarsus short, rounded, 



