16 



SEA EAGLE. 

 FALCO OSSIFJRAGUS, 

 [Plate LV.—Fig. 2.] 



Jb'cU Zool. p. 194, Xo. 86.— .Linn. Syst. 124<.--Lath. I, so.—^LWrfraie, Buff. 1, 112, ph 3. PI. Enl 

 12, 415.— .^r. Zool, I, JVo. M..— -Bewick, I, 53.— Turt. Syst. p. IM.— .Peaie's Museunif JVo. 80. 



THIS Eagle inhabits the same countries, frequents the same 

 situations, and lives on the same kind of food as the Bald Eagle, 

 with whom it is often seen in company. It resembles this last so 

 much in figure, size, form of the bill, legs and claws, and is so 

 often seen associating with it, both along the Atlantic coast and 

 in the vicinity of our lakes and large rivers, that I have strong 

 suspicions, notwithstanding ancient and very respectable authori- 

 ties to the contrary, of its being the same species, only in a differ- 

 ent stage of color. 



That several years elapse before the young of the Bald Eagle 

 receive the white head, neck and tail; and that during the inter- 

 mediate period their plumage strongly resembles that of the Sea 

 Eagle, I am satisfied from my own observation on three several 

 birds kept by persons of this city. One of these belonging to the 

 late Mr. Enslen, collector of natural subjects for the emperor of Aus- 

 tria, was confidently believed by him to be the Black, or Sea Eagle, 

 until the fourth year, when the plumage on the head, tail and tail 

 coverts began gradually to become white; the bill also exchanged 

 its dusky hue for that of yellow; and before its death, this bird, 

 which I frequently examined, assumed the perfect dress of the full 

 plumaged Bald Eagle. Another circumstance corroborating these 

 suspicions, is the variety that occurs in the colors of the Sea Eagle. 

 Scarcely two of these are found to be alike, their plumage being 



