Species V. FALCO FULVU8. 



RING-TAIL EAGLE. 



[Plate LV. Fig. 1, young bird.] 



Linn. Syst ed. ]0, p. ^9,.— Black Eagle, Arct. Zool. p. 195, No. 87.— Lath, i., 32 

 No. ^.— White-tailed Eagle, Edw. i., \.— L'Aigle Commun, Buff, i., 86. PI 

 Enl. 409.— Bewick, i., p. 49. 



The reader is now presented with a portrait of this celebrated Eagle, 

 drawn from a fine specimen shot in the county of Montgomery, Penn- 

 sylvania. The figure here given, though reduced to one-third the size 

 of life, is strongly characteristic of its original. With respect to the 

 habits of the species, such particulars only shall be selected as are well 

 authenticated, rejecting whatever seems vague, or savors too much of 

 the marvellous. 



This noble bird, in strength, spirit and activity, ranks among the 

 first of its tribe. It is found, though sparingly dispersed, over the 

 whole temperate and arctic regions, particularly the latter; breeding 

 on high precipitous rocks ; always preferring a mountainous country. 

 In its general appearance it has great resemblance to the Goldea Eagle, 

 from which, however, it differs in being rather less ; as also in the 

 colors and markings of the tail ; and, as it is said, in being less noisy. 

 When young, the color of the body is considerably lighter, but deepens 

 into a blackish brown as it advances in age. 



The tail feathers of this bird are highly valued by the various tribes 

 of American Indians, for ornamenting their calumets, or Pipes of Peace. 

 Several of these pipes, which were brought from the remote regions 

 of Louisiana by Captain Lewis, were deposited in Peale's Museum, 

 each of which had a number of the tail feathers of this bird attached 

 to it. The Northern as well as Southern Indians seem to follow the 

 like practice, as appears by the numerous calumets, formerly belonging 

 to different tribes. 



Pennant informs us, that the independent Tartars train this Eagle 

 for the chase of hares, foxes, wolves, antelopes, &c., and that they 

 esteem the feathers of the tail the best for pluming their arrows. The 

 Ring-tail Eagle is characterized by all as a generous-spirited and docile 

 bird ; and various extraordinary incidents are related of it by different 

 writers, not, however, sufficiently authenticated to deserve repetition. 

 The truth is, the solitary habits of the Eagle now before us, the vast 

 inaccessible cliffs to which it usually retires, united with the scarcity of 

 the species in those regions inhabited by man, all combine to render a 



(47) 



