WHITE-HEADED EAGLE. 



97 



with green; mouth flesh colored, tip of the tongue bluish black; 

 the head, chief part of the neck, vent, tail-coverts and tail, are 

 white in the perfect or old birds of both sexes, in those under 

 three years of age these parts are of a grey brown; the rest of the 

 plumage is deep dark brown, each feather tipt with pale brown, 

 lightest on the shoulder of the wing, and darkest towards its ex- 

 tremities; the conformation of the wing is admirably adapted for 

 the support of so large a bird; it measures two feet in breadth 

 on the greater quills, and sixteen inches on the lesser; the longest 

 primaries are twenty inches in length, and upwards of one inch in 

 circumference where they enter the skin; the broadest secondaries 

 are three inches in breadth across the vane; the scapulars are very 

 large and broad, spreading from the back to the wing, to prevent 

 the air from passing through; another range of broad flat feathers, 

 from three to ten inches in length, also extend from the lower part 

 of the breast to the wing below, for the same purpose; between 

 these lies a deep triangular cavity; the thighs are remarkably 

 thick, strong and muscular, covered with long feathers pointing 

 backwards, usually called the femoral feathers ; the legs, which are 

 covered half way below the knee, before, with dark brown downy 

 feathers, are of a rich yellow, the color of ripe Indian corn ; feet the 

 same; claws blue black, very large and strong, particularly the in- 

 ner one, which is considerably the largest, soles very rough and 

 warty; the eye is sunk under a bony or cartilaginous projection, of 

 a pale yellow color, and is turned considerably forwards, not stand- 

 ing parallel with the cheeks, the iris is of a bright straw color, 

 pupil black. 



The male is generally two or three inches shorter than the 

 female; the white on the head, neck and tail being more tinged 

 with yellowish, and its whole appearance less formidable ; the 

 brown plumage is also lighter, and the bird itself less daring 

 than the female, a circumstance common to almost all birds of 

 prey. 



VOL. IV. B b 



