FALCON I BJE. 15 



[5.] 2. Aquila (Hali^etus) leucocephala. Bald Eagle. 



Genus. Aquila, Antiquorum. Sub-genus. Haliaetus. Savigny. 



White-tailed Eagle. (Aquila cauda-alba.) Edwards, pi. 1. 



White-headed Eagle. Penn.* Arct. ZooL, ii., p. 196, No. 89. Mature. 



Falco leucocephalus. Lath. Ind., i., p. 11, sp. 5. Mature. 



White-headed or Bald Eagle. (Falco leucocephalus.) Wilson, iv., p. 89, pi. 36. Adult. 



Sea Eagle. (Falco ossifragus.) Idem, vii., p. 16, pi. 55, f. 2. Young. 



Falco leucocephalus. Temm., i., p. 25. Buonap. Syn., p. 26. 



Meekeeshew. (Name for the species.) Cree Indians. 



Wapustiquan-Meekeeshew. (White-headed E.) Idem. Mature bird. 



Appisk Meekeeshew. (Black-headed E.) Idem. Immature. 



Meekeeseeseesh. Idem Yearling birds. 



Eagle, No. 23. Hudson's Bay Museum. Old bird. 



Eagle, No. 29. Loco citato. Young. 



This vigorous and rapacious bird is the earliest of the summer visitors to the 

 fur countries, and the period of its arrival has given the name of Meekeeshew 

 eepeesJiim, or Eagle moon, to the month of March. Temminck assigns for its 

 habitual residence the regions within the Arctic Circle, and Wilson observes that it 

 is found at all seasons in the countries it inhabits. Both these assertions, however, 

 require, I apprehend, to be taken with considerable latitude. We did not, on 

 the late expeditions, meet with it to the north of the Great Slave Lake (latitude 

 62° N.), although it is common, in the summer, in the country extending from 

 thence to Lake Superior, and its breeding-places in thelatter district are nume- 

 rous. But in the month of October, when the rivers from which it draws its 

 principal supply f food are frozen over, it entirely quits the Hudson's Bay lands ; 

 and if after that period it is to be seen in the northern regions, it can only be 

 on the sea-coast and for a limited time while the sea continues unfrozen. It 

 resides all the year in the United States, frequenting their whole extent of sea- 

 coast and the shores of the large lakes and rivers ; and it is known to breed as far 

 south as Virginia, but its nests do not appear to be so common within any part 

 of the United States as they are in the fur countries. 



The favourite food of this bird is fish, caught alive ; but it preys also on birds 

 and the smaller quadrupeds ; nor does it disdain at times to feed on carrion ; and 

 it has been known to attack a Vulture in the air, and, having caused it to disgorge 



* Pennant, in his account of the Black Eagle of America, does not appear to have clearly distinguished between the 

 Golden and Bald Eagles, and it is probable that his Black-cheeked Eagle may be referred also to the Bald Eagle. But 

 the task of clearing away the difficulties attending these and many other synonymes that have reference to this bird 

 seems to be as profitless as it is hopeless. Latham mentions the same species under the names of F. Americanus and 

 me/ante'clus. 



