EAGLES. 41 



44. The Common Eagle, — Falcofulvvs, — Falco melanaetos, — 

 Falco niger, {Plate 3, fig. 1.) which is also called, yellow eagle, 

 or black eagle, and which has been distinguished by the name of 

 Royal Eagle, from which it differs only in age, inhabits all the 

 great forests of Kurope, and is more particularly met with in the 

 mountains of Sweden, Scotland, and the Tyrol ; it feeds upon 

 lambs and fawns, which it carries off with surprising force, and 

 rarely attacks large birds. Its eggs are of a dirty white colour, 

 spotted red. 



45. The Imperial Eagle^ — Falco imperialism — Arpiila heliaca, 

 — has a shorter body, and longer wings than the common eagle ; 

 it inhabits the high, wooded mountains of the south and east of 

 Europe, and is quite common in Egypt. It pursues deers, roe- 

 bucks and other quadrupeds, from which it tears enormous 

 shreds and carries to its eyry ; it is still more terrible to other 

 birds, and to it are to be attributed most of the exaggerated 

 accounts of the strength, courage, and magnanimity, which the 

 ancients gave of the Golden Eagle. 



4t). The Fisher Eagles, — HalicBtus, — differ from eagles pro- 

 perly so called in the tarsi, only the upper half of which are 

 invested with feathers ; they keep near the margins of rivers, 

 and the sea, and live chiefly on fishes. The species which are 

 designated by the names of Ossifragus and Pygargus, are found 

 in all the northern parts of the globe. 



47. The Bald Eagle, — Falco leucocephalus, — inhabits North 

 America, and is constantly occupied in fishing. It is of a uniform 

 deep brown colour, with a white head and tail ; its beak is yellow 

 and it is almost as large as the common eagle of Europe. It is 

 the figure of this bird that is represented in the national emblems 

 of the United States. 



48. The Ospreys, — Pandion, — have the beak and feet of the 

 Fisher Eagles. Only one species is known, which is found along 

 the shores of fresh waters in almost every part of the globe. It 

 is the Fish Hawk, or Osprey, — Falco halicBtus. 



49. The Great Harpy of Jimerica, — Falco harpyia. — Of all 

 birds, this possesses the most terrific beak and claws ; it is supe- 

 rior in size to the common eagle. Such are its powers that it is 

 said to have cleft a man's skull with its beak ; its ordinary food 

 is the sloth, and it often carries off fawns. 



44. What are the ciiaracters of the common Eagle ? 



45. Where is the Imperial Eagle found ? What are its habits ? 



46. What are Fisher-Eagles ? 



47. What is the Bald Eagle ? 



48. Where are the Ospreys found ? 



49. What is the character of the American Harpy ? 



