436 mil WILSON ON THE SUPPOSED IDENTITY OF 
established by a continued series of observations, I prbceed 
to state a few of those arguments which I think may fairly 
be objected against the other more recent opinions, — and, 
first, regarding that which maintains that the Golden Eagle 
is the young of the Ring-tail. 
The uncertainty which recently prevailed on this point, 
w^as the reason why more minute and careful attention was 
bestowed upon it by some of the French ornithologists, 
with whom I believe the doubt itself originated. In con- 
sequence of this, the specimen of the Golden Eagle pre- 
served in the aviary of the King'*s Garden in Paris, was 
particularly examined from time to time for a series of 
•years, but no change was perceived to take place sufficient 
in any degree to warrant the belief, that that species ever 
passed into or assumed the plumage of the Ring-tail. The 
specimen alluded to is now six or eight years old; and as 
no bird is known to require more than one-half of that pe- 
riod to attain maturity, the French ornithologists have 
naturally inferred, that had the individual under their in- 
spection been destined to undergo such mutation at all, it 
Avould have done so before now. tience they conclude 
that these species are distinct. Earon Cuvier, in referring 
to this subject of dispute, affirms, " II y a meme des natu- 
ralistes qui croient que FAigle Royal n'est qu\m jeune de 
TAigle Commun; mais on en eleve un, depuis plusieurs 
annees a la menagerie, qui conserve toiijours sa qiieiie har- 
Tee de noir et de gris I need scarcely remark, that the 
Aigle Royal and the Aigle Commun of the French are sy- 
nonymous with the Golden and Ring- tailed Eagles of the 
English ornithologists. 
Note to the " Bcgnc Animal," L p. 31i. 
