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Genus HALIAETUS. 



Aquila apud Pallas, Reis. Russ. Reichs, i. p. 454 (1771). 

 Vultur apud Lilmseus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 123 (1766). 

 Falco apud Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 124 (1766). 

 Haliaetus, Savigny, Syst. Ois. de l'Egypte et de la Syrie, p. 25 (1810). 

 Haliaetos apud C. L. Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 14 (1831). 

 Cuncuma apud Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vi. p. 367 (1837). 

 Ichthyaetus apud Blyth, Ann. Nat. Hist. xiv. p. 37 (1844). 

 Pontoaetus apud Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 280. 



The Sea-Eagles inhabit the Palsearctic, Ethiopian, Oriental, Australian, and Nearctic Regions, 

 two only of the seven known species being found in the Western Palsearctic Region. Unlike 

 the species belonging to the genus Aquila, the Sea-Eagles frequent the sea, lakes, and rivers, 

 seldom being found far away from water, and they feed chiefly on fish and water-fowl, though 

 also on the smaller mammals, lambs, hares, rabbits, and carrion. Though powerful, they are 

 less bold than the other larger Raptores, and seldom attack any larger animal than a hare or 

 a lamb. Their flight is strong, though rather heavy ; and their cry is a clear, loud yelp. They 

 breed early in the season, placing their nest on a rock or a lofty tree, and constructing a large 

 bulky nest of sticks lined with dried grass and moss. Two eggs are usually laid, these being 

 white and rather rough in texture of shell. 



Haliaetus alhicilla, the type of the species, has the beak strong, elongated, straight to the 

 end of the cere, whence it curves to the tip, which is deeply hooked, the line of the bill slightly 

 bulged before the commencement of the hook ; nostrils in the anterior part of the cere, large, 

 oval, or lunate in shape ; wings long and broad, the first quill shorter than the secondaries, the 

 fourth longest; tarsus feathered on the upper half, the front of the lower part and of the toes 

 scutellated, the sides and back reticulated ; toes divided to the base, the outer one versatile ; 

 claws strong, curved, grooved beneath, acute, that of the hind toe much larger than the rest. 



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