BIRDS — AQUILINAE AQUILA CANADENSIS. 
41 
Sub-Family AQUILINAE. — T h e Eagles. 
Size large, and all parts very strongly organized. Bill large, compressed, straight at base, 
curved and acute at tip ; wings long, pointed ; tail ample, generally rounded ; tarsi moderate, 
very strong ; claws curved, very sharp and strong. There are about seventy species of eagles, 
of all countries. 
AQUILA, Moehring. 
Jlquila, Moehring, Av. Gen. p. 49, (1752.) 
General form large and very strong, and adapted to long continued and swift flight. Bill large, strong, compressed, and 
hooked at the tip ; wings long, pointed ', tarsi rather short, very strong, feathered to the toes ; claws sharp, strong, curved. 
This genus includes about twenty species, whi;h are regarded as the true eagles. 
AQUILA CANADENSIS, Linnaeus. 
The Golden Eagle ; The Ring Tailed Eagle. 
Falco canadensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 125, (1766.) 
F&lco niger, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 259, (1788?) 
Jlquila nobilis, Pallas, Zoog. Ross. As. I, 338, (1811?) 
FiGTrKEs.— Wilson Am. Orn. pi. 55, fig. 1 ; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 181 ; Oct. ed. I, pi. 12. 
Adult. — Large ; tarsi densely feathered to the toes. Head and neck behind light brownish fulvous, varying- in shade in 
'different specimens, frequently light orange fulvous, generally darker. Tail at base white, which color frequently occupies the 
greater part of the tail ; other terminal portion glossy black. All other parts rich purplish brown, frequently very dark, and 
nearly clear black on the under parts of the body. Primaries shining black; secondaries purplish brown; tibiffl and tarsi 
ibrewnish fulvous, generally mixed with dark ashy ; cere and toes yellow. 
Younger. — Entire plumage lighter, and mixed with dull fulvous ; under parts of the body nearly uniform with the upper 
parts. 
Total length, female, 33 to 40 inches, wing about 25, tail about 15 inches. Male, total length 30 to 35 inches, wing 20 to 
23, tail 12 to 14 inches. 
Hab. — All of North America. Spec, in Nat. Mus., Washington, and Mus. Acad., Philadelphia. 
The golden eagle, or ring tailed eagle, as it is more commonly called, inhabits the whole of 
North America. It has usually been regarded as the same as the European, but presents points 
of difference, which are very probably sufficient to warrant the original distinctive appellation 
given by Linnaeus. 
List of specimens. 
6 
6 
SP 
6 
Measurements. 
Catal. N 
Sex and 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Original 
Collected by — 
Length. 
Extent. 
si 
a 
% 
9124 
Fort Thorn, N. M 
Dr. J. C. Henry . 
9121 1 
Q 
Washington, D. C . 
Dec. 26, 1857... 
Benjamin Cross 
36.25 
86.00 
25.00 
1 Weight 9 pounds. 
6 b 
