FAI.CO LEUCOCEPIIALUS. 
30 
The white-headed eagle is three feet long, and seve® 
feet in extent ; the bill is of a rich yellow ; cere the saffl,^’’ 
slightly tinged with green ; mouth, flesh-coloured, t'P 
of the tongue, bluish black; the head, chief ])art of th 
neck, vent, tail coverts, and tail, are white in the perfect 
or old birds of both sexes, — in those under three yen'* 
of age these parts are of a gray brown ; the rest of tt> 
plumage is deep divrk brown, each feather tipt with 
brown, lightest on the shoulder of the wing, and dai’k^^ 
towards its extremities. The conformation of the wn'^, 
is admirably adapted for the sunport of so large a bim' 
it measures two feet in breadth on the greater quib-'^ 
and sixteen inches on the lesser ; the longest priniark' 
are twenty inches in length, and upwards of one in^ 
in circumference where they enter the skin ; the broade^ 
secondaries are three inches in breadth across the van®' 
the scapulars are very large and broad, spreading ftp ^ 
the back to the n-ing, to prevent the air from passing 
through ; another range of broad flat feathers, from thre^ 
to ten inches in length, also extend from the lower pnt_ 
of the breast to the wing below, for the same purpos®^ 
between these lies a dee]) triangular cavity ; the thi^'*'' 
are remarkably thitik, strong,aud muscular, covered tvfl 
long fcatliers ])ointing backwards, usually called lb 
femoral feathers ; the legs, which arc covered half n*” 
below the knee, before, with dark bro wn downy feathC^ 
are of a rich yellow, the colour of ripe Indian cor'*’ 
feet the same ; claws, blue black, veiy large and stro***’ 
particularly the inner one, which is considerably 1** 
largest; so’les, very rough and warty; the eye is su'*' 
under a bony, or cartiliigiiious projection, of a pale ynb.b , 
colour, and is turned considerably forwards, notstand**k 
parallel with the cheeks, the iris is of a bright sW** 
colour, pupil black. 
The male is generally two or three inches shorter tp^ 
the female; the white on the head, neck, and tail be*^-^ 
more tiuged with yellowish, and its ivhole appeara** , 
less formidable ; the brown plumage is also lighter, a 
the bird itself less daring than the female, — a circu 
stance common to almost all birds of prey. 
