3 1 RING- TAILED EA GLE. 



Lewis, are now deposited in Mr Peale's Museum, each of which 

 has a number of the tail-feathers of this bird attached to it. 

 The northern as well as the southern Indians seem to follow 

 the like practice, as appears by the numerous calumets, for- 

 merly belonging to different tribes, to be seen in the same 

 magnificent collection. 



Mr 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 characterised 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 particular knowledge of its manners 

 very difficult to be obtained. The author has once or twice 

 observed this bird sailing along the alpine declivities of the 

 White Mountains of New Hampshire, early in October, and 

 again over the Highlands of Hudson's river, not far from 

 West Point. Its flight was easy, in high circuitous sweeps ; 

 its broad white tail, tipped with brown, expanded like a fan. 

 Near the settlements on Hudson's Bay, it is more common, 

 and is said to prey on hares, and the various species of grouse 

 which abound there. Buffon observes, that though other 

 eagles also prey upon hares, this species is a more fatal enemy 

 to those timid animals, which are the constant object of their 

 search, and the prey which they prefer. The Latins, after 

 Pliny, termed the eagle Valeria quasi valens viribus, because 

 of its strength, which appears greater than that of other eagles 

 in proportion to its size. 



The ring-tail eagle measures nearly three feet in length ; 

 the bill is of a brownish born colour ; the cere, sides of the 

 mouth, and feet, yellow ; iris of the eye, reddish hazel, the eye 

 turned considerably forwards ; eyebrow, remarkably prominent, 



