446 MR WILSON ON THE SUPPOSED IDENTITY OF 
and ferruginous, to simple and distinct bands or portions 
of black and white, or into one or other of these two ; viz. 
the Sea-Eagle, the Peregrine Falcon, the Goshawk, the 
Hen-harrier, several Butcher-birds, several Fly-catchers, 
the Grey Wagtail, the Pied Wagtail, the common Spar- 
row, the Goldfinch, the Black-headed Bunting, the Black- 
bird, and the Ring-ouzel, exclusive of almost the whole 
tribe of Gulls, Mergansers, and many other aquatic fowls. 
Now, the change assumed to take place by Mr Selby is in 
exact opposition to these and many other instances ; for, if 
his idea be correct, the broad black and white bands of the 
tail, which have hitherto (independent of all general rea- 
soning) been considered as the chief mark by which to dis- 
tinguish the Ring-tail from the Golden Eagle, are merely 
the characters of immaturity, and are parted with at an 
after period, and their place supplied by the more obscure 
and clouded colours already referred to. 
A mature bird is generally characterised by the depth 
and clearness of its colours, by their greater contrast when 
different, and their greater uniformity of hue when the 
same. But the Ring-tail (the supposed young) is much 
darker and more uniform in its general plumage than the 
Golden Eagle; and the broad and strongly contrasted 
bands of black and white on the tail form apparently a 
very distinguishing character, and one which,^ according to 
Pennant, it maintains in all its stages, and in every coun- 
try where it is found. The difference in the colour of the 
iris, too, if a valid objection at all, is of course equally 
available against the opinion which I am now contesting, 
as it was against the one previously discussed. I may add, 
that, as far as my limited reading enables me to judge, the 
geographical distribution of the Ring-tail is considerably 
more extended (at least in a northerly direction) than that 
