WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. \®\ 
very large and broad, spreading from the back to the wing, to 
prevent the air from passing through ; 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 ; between 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 yellow, the colour of ripe Indian corn ; feet, the same ; 
claws, blue black, very large and strong, particularly the inner 
one, which is considerably the largest ; soles, very rough and 
warty; the eye is sunk under a bony, or cartilaginous pro- 
jection, of a pale yellow colour, and is turned considerably 
forwards, not standing parallel with the cheeks ; the iris is of a 
bright straw colour, 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 with yellowish, and its whole appearance less formi- 
dable ; the brown plumage is also lighter, and the bird itself 
less daring than the female, — a circumstance common to 
almost all birds of prey. 
The bird from which the foregoing drawing and description 
were taken, was shot near Great Egg Harbour, in the month 
of January. It was in excellent order, and weighed 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 which 
(as the bird is ravenous and without teeth) large portions of 
unmasticated meats are suffered to dissolve before they pass 
to the lower or proper stomach, which is membranous. I did 
not receive the bird time enough to ascertain whether any 
chilification was effected by the juices from the vessels of this 
