52 THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 



Adult Female. 



Wings long; the fourth quill longest, the third almost equal, the second 

 considerably shorter, the first short; the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and 

 sixth abruptly cut out on the inner webs; the secondaries long, broad, and 

 rounded. Tail rather long, ample, rounded, of twelve broad, rounded, and 

 acuminate feathers. 



Bill light bluish-grey at the base, black at the tip; cere and basal margins 

 yellow. Eyebrows and margins of the eyelids light blue; iris chestnut. 

 Toes rich yellow; claws bluish-black. Fore part of the head, cheeks, throat, 

 and under parts deep brown. Hind head, and posterior and lateral parts of 

 the neck light brownish-yellow, the shafts and concealed parts of the feathers 

 deep brown. The back is deep brown, glossy, with purplish reflections; 

 the wing-coverts lighter. The primary quills brownish-black, the secondaries 

 with their coverts brown, and those next the body more or less mottled with 

 brownish-white, excepting at the ends; the edge of the wing at the flexure 

 pale yellowish-brown. Tail dark brown, lighter towards the base, and with 

 a few irregular whitish markings, like fragments of transverse bands; its 

 coverts pale brown, mottled with white at the base, and paler at the ends. 

 The short feathers of the legs and tarsi are light yellowish-brown, each with 

 a dark shaft; the outer elongated feathers dark brown; the lower tail-coverts 

 light yellowish-brown. The base of the feathers on the upper parts of the 

 body is white, on the lower pale dusky grey. 



Length 3 feet 2 inches; extent of wings 7 feet; bill along the back 2f, 

 edge of lower mandible 2\; tarsus 4^, middle toe and claw 4^, hind claw 2§. 

 The extremities of the wings are 1 inch short of that of the tail. 



Genus IV.— HALIAETUS, Savigny. SEA-EAGLE. 



Bill rather short, very deep, compressed; upper mandible with the dorsal 

 outline nearly straight at the base, beyond the cere decurved, the sides slop- 

 ing, the edges nearly straight, with a slight obtuse process, and a shallow 

 sinus close to the strong trigonal tip; lower mandible with the dorsal outline 

 slightly convex, the tip obliquely truncate. Head large, oblong, flattened 

 above. Nostrils oblong, oblique, near the ridge. Neck of moderate length. 

 Body very large. Feet rather short, very robust; tarsi roundish, covered 

 anteriorly with transverse scutella, posteriorly with large, laterally with 

 small scales; toes robust, free, scutellate above; claws large, curved, rounded, 

 fiat beneath, acuminate. Plumage compact, imbricated; feathers of the head 

 and neck narrow and pointed; space between the bill and eye barish, being 



