266 
FALCO FULVUS. 
had the gratification of seeing a fine specimen of this 
eagle at Mr Brano’s museum. It was a male in fine 
plumage, and beautifully preserved. I wished to pur- 
chase it, with a view to carry it to Europe, but the 
price put upon it was above my means. 
“ My excellent friend, Richard Harlan, M. D. of that 
city, speaking of this bird, in a letter, dated £ Phila- 
delphia, August 19, 1830,’ says, ‘ That fine specimen 
of Washington eagle, which you noticed in Brano’s 
museum, is at present in my possession. I have 
deposited it in the academy, where it will most likely 
remain.’ I saw the specimen alluded to, which, in as 
far as I could observe, agreed in size and markings 
exactly with my drawing, to which, however, I could 
not at the time refer, as it was, with the whole of my 
collection, deposited in the British Museum, under 
the care of my ever kind and esteemed friend, 
J. Gr. Children, Esq. of that institution. 
“ The glands containing the oil used for the purpose 
of anointing the surface of the plumage are extremely 
large. Their contents have the appearance of hog’s 
lard, which had been melted and become rancid. This 
bird makes more copious use of that substance than 
the white-headed eagle, or any of the tribe to which it 
belongs, excepting the fish-hawk, the whole plumage 
looking, upon close examination, as if it had received 
a general coating of a thin clear dilution of gum-arabic, 
and presenting less of the downy gloss exhibited in the 
upper part of the white-headed eagle’s plumage. The 
male bird weighs 14^ lb; avoirdupois, and measures 3 
feet 7 inches in length, and 10 feet 2 inches in extent.” 
4. FALCO FULVUS RING-TAIL, OR GOLDEN EAGLE. 
Dr Richardson says, at page 12 of the Northern 
Zoology , — “ This powerful bird breeds in the recesses 
of the sub-alpine country which skirts the Rocky 
Mountains, and is seldom seen farther to the east- 
ward. It is held by the aborigines of America, as it 
is by almost every other people, to be an emblem of 
