SPECIES 5. FALCO FULVUS. 
RING-TAIL EAGLE. 
[Plate LV. — Fig. 1, young bird.] 
Linn. Syst. ed. 10, p. 88. — Black Eagle, Jirct. Zool. p. 195, JV'o. 
87. — La.th.1,32, JV*o.6. — Wliite~tailed Eagle, Kdw.i, 1. — L’Jligle 
Coinnmn, Buff, i, 86. PL Enl. 409. — Bewick, i,p. 49. — Peale’s 
Museum, JV'b. 84; JV'o. 85, young. 
The reader is now presented with a portrait of this celebrated 
Eagle, drawn from a fine specimen shot in the county of Mont- 
gomery, Pennsylvania. 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 partic- 
ulars only shall be selected as are well authenticated, rejecting 
whatever seems vague, or savours 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 
difiers in being rather less; as also in the colours and markings 
of the tail; and, as it is said, in being less noisy. When young, 
the colour 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, are 
now deposited in Peale’s Museum, each of which has 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 
