THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 



131 



AQUILA CHRYSAETUS 



252. Aquila chrysaetus chrysaetus (L.) — THE GOLDEN 

 EAGLE. 



Falco Chrysaetos Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 88 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Aquila chrysaetus (Linngeus), Yarrell, 1, p. 11 ; Saunders, p. 327. 



A. Golden Eagle {Aquila c. chrysaetus). B. Sea-Eagle (Haiiceetus albicilla). 



Middle toes of : A. Golden Eagle. B. Sea-Eagle. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter and summer. — 

 Feathers of crown, nape and sides of neck lance-shaped, bases and 

 shafts rufous -brown to dark brown, tips and edges bright tawny- 

 buff, becoming much paler and often whitish when worn (fore- 

 part and centre of crown usually darker than nape) ; mantle, 

 scapulars, back and rump dark or blackish brown with a purplish 

 sheen (becoming much paler brown when worn), bases of feathers 

 white with a few brown markings, bases of scapulars much marbled 

 with brown ; central upper tail-coverts as rump, bases white or 

 mottled or barred with white, lateral tail-coverts paler brown, 

 often yellowish-brown at tips, bases more regularly barred white ; 

 feathers of lores bristle-like, black with short white tufts at base ; 

 ear-coverts as crown ; under -parts much as upper -parts but not 

 VOL. 11. k 2 



