14 
RING-TAILED EAGLE. 
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 depo- 
sited in Mr. 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 appears by 
the numerous calumets, formerly belonging to different tribes, to 
be seen in the same magnificent collection. 
Mr. 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-tailed 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, sufficiently authen- 
ticated 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 re- 
gions inhabited by man, all combine to render a particular know- 
ledge of its manners very difficult to be obtained. The author has, 
once or twice, observed this bird sailing along the alpine declivi- 
ties of the White mountains of New Hampshire, early in October, 
and again, over the Highlands of Hudson’s river, nor far from 
West Point. Its flight was easy, in high circuitous sweeps, its 
broad white tail, tipped with brown, expanded like a fan. Near 
the settlements on Hudson’s bay it is more common, and is said 
to prey on hares, and the various species of Grous which abound 
there. Buffon observes, that tho other Eagles also prey upon 
hares, this species is a more fatal enemy to those timid animals, 
which are the constant object of their search, and the prey which 
they prefer. The Latins, after Pliny, termed the Eagle Valeria 
quasi valens viribus, because of its strength, which appears greater 
that that of the other Eagles in proportion to its size. 
