Species V. FALCO FULVUS. 
RING-TAIL EAGLE. 
[Plate LV. Fig. 1, young bird.] 
Linn. Syst. ed. 10, p. S8.— Black Ear/Ie, ArcL Zool. p. 195, No. 87.— Lath, i., 32, 
No. White-tailed Fai/le, Edw. i., 1. — L'Aigle Commun, Buff, i., 8G. PL 
Enl. 409. — Bewick, i., p. 49. 
The reader is now presented with a portrait of tliis celebrated Eagle, 
drawn from a fine specimen shot in the county of Montgomery, Penn- 
sylvania. The figure here given, though reduced to one-third the size 
of life, is strongly characteristic of its original. With respect to the 
habits of the species, such particulars only shall be selected as are well 
authenticated, rejecting whatever seems vague, or savors too much of 
the marvellous. 
This noble bird, in strength, spirit and activity, ranks among the 
first of its tribe. It is found, though sparingly dispersed, over the 
whole temperate and arctic regions, particularly the latter ; breeding 
on high precipitous rocks ; always preferring a mountainous country. 
In its general appearance it has great resemblance to the Golden. Eagle, 
from which, however, it differs in being rather less ; as also in the 
colors and markings of the tail ; and, as it is said, in being less noisy. . 
When young, the color of the body is considerably lighter, but deepens 
into a blackish brown as it advances in age. 
The tail feathers of this bird are highly valued by the various tribes 
of American Indians, for ornamenting their calumets, or Pipes of Peace. 
Several of these pipes, which were brought from the remote regions 
of Louisiana by Captain Lewis, were deposited in Peale's Museum, 
each of which had a number of the tail feathers of this bird attached 
to it. The Northern as well as Southern Indians seem to follow the 
like practice, as appears by the numerous calumets, formerly belonging 
to different tribes. 
Pennant' informs us, that the independent Tartars train this Eagle 
for the chase of hares, foxes, wolves, antelopes, &c., and that they 
esteem the feathers of the tail the best for pluming their arrows. The 
Ring-tail Eagle is characterized by all as a generous-spirited and docile 
bird ; and various extraordinary incidents are related of it by different 
writers, not, however, sulEciently authenticated to deserve repetition. 
The truth is, the solitary habits of the Eagle now before us, the vast 
inaccessible cliffs to which it usually retires, united with the scarcity of 
the species in those regions inhabited by man, all combine to render a 
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