40 
WIIITE-IIE ADED EAGLE. 
mouth flesli colored, tip of the tongue bluish black ; the head, chief part 
of the neck, vent, tail-coverts and tail, are Avhite in the perfect or old 
birds of both sexes, in those under three years of age these parts are of 
a gray brown ; the rest of the plumage is deep dark brown, each feather 
tipped with pale brown, lightest on the shoulder of the wing, and darkest 
towards its extremities ; 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 tlie air from 
passing tlirough ; another range of broad flat feathers, from three to ten 
inches in length, also extends from the lower part of the breast to the 
wing below, for the same purpose ; bctAveen 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 yelloAV, the color of ripe 
Indian corn; feet the same; claws blue black, very large and strong, 
particularly the inner one, which is considerably the largest, soles vei'y 
rough and warty ; the eye is sunk under a bony or cartilaginous projec- 
tion, of a pale yellow color, and is turned considerably forwards, not 
standing parallel with the cheeks, the iris is of a bright straAV 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 Avith yelloAvish, 
and its Avhole appearance less formidable ; the broAvn plumage is also 
lighter, and the bird itself less daring than the female, a circumstance 
common to almost all birds of prey. 
The l)ird from Avhich the foregoing draAving and description Avere 
taken, was shot near Great Egg Harbor, in the month of January last, 
was in excellent order, and Aveighed about eleven pounds. Dr. Samuel 
B. Smith, of this city, obliged me with a minute and careful dissection 
of it ; from whose copious and very interesting notes on the subject, I 
shall extract such remarks as are suited to the general reader. 
" The Eagle you sent me for dissection was a beautiful female. It 
had two expansions of the gullet. The first, principally composed of 
longitudinal bundles of fibre, in Avhich (as the bird is ravenous and with- 
out teeth) large portions of unmasticated meats are suifered to dissolve 
before they pass to the lower or proper stomach, Avhich is membranous. 
I did not receive the bird time enough to ascertain whether any chylifi- 
cation was effected by the juices from the vessels of this enlargement of 
the oesophagus. I think it probable that it also has a regurgitating or 
