WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 325 
WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD PAGLE.*—FALCO LEUCOCE- 
PHALUS.- - Fie. 157. 
Linn. Syst. 124.— Lath. i. 29.— ee Ap a téte blanche, ay 1.99, Pl. ent. 
411.— Arct. Zool. 196, No. 89. — Bald Eagle, Catesby, i. 1.— Peale’s Museum, 
No. 78. 
HALIJEETUS LEUCOCEPHALUS. — Sayteny.{ 
Aigle a téte blanche, Cuv. Regn. Anim. i. p. 315.— Temm. Man. i. p. 52. — Falco 
leucocephalus, (sub-gen. Haliwetus,) Bonap. S . p. 26. — The White-headed 
Eagle, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. p. 160, pl. 31, male. — Aquila (Halizetus) leucoce- 
phala, North. Zool. ii. p. 15. 
Turs distinguished bird, as he 1s the most beautiful of his tribe in 
this part of the world, and the adopted emblem of our country, is en- 
titled to particular notice. He was drawn from one of the largest and 
most perfect specimens I have yet met with. In the back ground is 
seen a distant view of the celebrated Cataract of Niagara, a noted 
place of resort for these birds, as well on account of the fish procured 
* The epithet bald applied to this species, whose head is thickly covered with 
feathers, is equally improper and absurd with the titles Goatsucker, Kingsfisher, &c. 
bestowed on others ; and seems to have been occasioned by the white appearance 
of the head, when contrasted with the dark color of the rest of the plumage. The 
appellation, however, being now almost universal, is retained in the following 
ages. 
+ This species and the Sea Eagle of Europe, have been thought to be the same 
by many ornithologists ; some of a latter date appear still to confound them, and 
to be unable to satisfy themselves regarding the distinction. The subject has even 
been left in doubt in a work which has been recommended as a text-book to the 
British student. They are decidedly distinct, the one being the representing form 
of the other in their respective countries. The common Sea Eagle, Haliwetus 
albicilla, is, 1 believe, exclusively European; the #Z. leucocephalus, according to 
Temminck, is common to the northern hemispheres of both the Old and New 
World, though much more abundant in the latter. The adult birds may be at 
once distinguished, and the confusion can only have arisen from the similarity of 
the young : when closely compared, they will also be found to possess considerable 
distinctions. 
In habit, too, there is a difference. I have had both species alive in my posses- 
sion for several years ; that of America, more active and restless in disposition, is 
constantly in motion, and incessantly utters its shrill barking cry. Both species 
are difficult to be tamed. but the stranger will hardly allow his cage to be cleaned 
out. Though four years old, the feed and tail have not attained their pure white- 
ness, being still marked with some patcles of brown; but I have found this to be 
invariably the case with birds in confinement, from three to five years being then 
required to complete their perfect change,{ whereas three years is the generally 
supposed time in a wild state. Fish is preferred to any other food by both, but 
nothing appears to come amiss to them. 
Savigny established his genus for this form, or for the large Bare-legged Fishing 
Eagles. They are not so powerfully formed, or so much adapted for rapid flight 
as the Falcons and Eagles. The tarsi are weaker — the tail more graduated — 
the whole form more inelegant ; and when at rest, the secondaries hang in a droop- 
ing and sluggish manner over their wings; their habits, unless when in search of 
prey. or in the breeding season, much less daring and active. Such may be said to 
e the ener characters of the group; our present species, however, seems to 
have a disposition more akin to the very fiercest: we have seen him to be very 
¢ Mr. Audubon mentions having known it six, and says, in a wild state they breed the 
second veo- '~ full plumage. " 
