ME ring-Tailed AND GOLDEN EAGLES. Mi 
the beautiful white scapulary feathers of the old Imperial 
Eagle, which are al way. -5 wanting in the golden one. As to 
the young of these two sjpecies^ they are so dissimilar in the 
; colours of their plumage, that it is impossible ever to con- 
found them 
Had Mr Selby himself seen the specimen in the Sprun- 
glian cabinet, from which I took my description, and had 
he been then of opinion that it was the young of the Falco 
imperialism his extensive experience, and the general value 
of his sentiments on such subjects, would have caused me 
some hesitation in admitting the nomenclature even of the 
well-practised ornithologist of Berne ; but having shewn, 
by the testimony of M. Temminck, that there is no likeli- 
hood of the one b-eing ever confounded with the other, I 
I am free to confess, that I think it very improbable that I 
should have been mistaken in this instance, although such 
a mistake would certainly suit the views of those w^ho 
maintain the identity of the Ring-tailed and Golden Eagles^ 
All I can add on this point is, that the specimen described 
by me was believed and asserted to be the young of the 
Golden Eagle by those who had spent their lives in the 
mountainous districts of Berne, and other central parts of 
the Swiss Alps, where these species, whether distinct or 
otherwise, are at least as well known as they can be in any 
other part of the world. There was no specimen of the 
Falco imperialis itself ; nor did I ever hear any thing said 
or hinted regarding either the occurrence of that bird in 
the territory of Berne, or the liability of confounding its 
young with those of either of the other two. 
The observations made by Mr Selby are certainly well 
i deserving the attention of ornithologists, and, together with 
» T. i. p. 40. 
