40 
FALCONING. AQUILA. 
acute. Plumage compact, full. Wings very long, broad, 
rounded, the first and eighth quills about equal, the fourth 
longest ; the first six abruptly cut out on the inner web, 
and narrowed on the outer. Tail of moderate length, or 
rather long, broad, rounded, and extending considerably 
beyond the wings. 
The Eagles are powerful and vigorous birds, rather heavy 
apd somewhat slow, like the Buzzards, to which they are 
nearly allied. They sail in circles, ascend to a vast height, 
but when searching for food fly low over the gromid. They 
prefer mountainous regions, and are generally distributed. 
4. Aquila Chrysaetus. Golden Eagle. 
Tail slightly rounded, longer than the wings ; the general 
colour of the plumage brown ; the feathers of the head, neck, 
tarsus, and inner part of the tibia, light yellowish-brown ; the 
tail brownish-black, more or less variegated with grey. Young 
dark brown, with the bases of all the feathers whitish ; the 
basal half of the quills and larger wing-coverts, and three- 
fourths of the tail, white ; inner tibial and tarsal feathers 
white. As the bird advances in age, the white of the basal 
portion of the feathers diminishes, until the quills and tail 
ultimately become dark brown, irregularly banded and mottled 
with grey. 
Male, 33, 72, 24, 2j%, 4, 2fy, Ij^^. Female, 37, 87. 
Not uncommon in many parts of the Highlands and He- 
brides ; rare in Shetland and Orkney ; does not breed south of 
the Clyde and Tay, but is occasionally seen in various parts 
of England. Besident also in Ireland. Nestles on rocks, 
forming a large nest of sticks, heath, seaweeds, wool, and 
other substances, and lays two eggs, sometimes one, very 
rarely three, broadly ovate, 3 inches long, 2 J in breadth, white, 
clouded and spotted with light brown, or white with a few 
reddish dots. The food of this species consists of the flesh 
of hares, rabbits, lambs, fawns, moles, grouse, ptarmigans, 
partridges, curlews, plovers, and other species ; besides, occa- 
sionally, carrion of various kinds. 
Black Eagle. Brown Eagle. Ring- tailed Eagle. 
Falco Chrysaetos and F. fulvus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 125, 
Adult and Young. — Falco fulvus, Temm. Man. d’Ornith, i. 38. 
— Aquila Chrysaetus, Golden Eagle, MacGillivray, Brit. 
Birds, iii. 204. 
