in number, of a dull white, faintly stained with reddish brown, two inches and nine lines long, by two 
inches and three lines broad. 
This Sea-eagle may be frequently seen floating about in the air above its hunting ground, in circles, with 
the tips of its motionless wings turned upwards ; the great breadth and roundness of the pinions, and the 
shortness of the neck and tail, giving it no inapt resemblance to a large butterfly. 
The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is considerably larger than her mate. 
Adults have the head, neck, all the under surface, and the terminal third of the tail-feathers white ; 
primaries and base of the tail blackish brown, the remainder of the plumage grey; irides dark brown ; 
bill bluish horn-colour, with the tip black; cere, lores, and horny space over the eye bluish lead-colour 
slightly tinged with green ; legs and feet yellowish white ; nails black. 
The young have the head, back of the neck and throat light buff; all the upper surface and wings light 
chocolate-brown, each feather tipped with buffy white ; tail light buffy white at the base, passing into deep 
brown towards the tip, which is white; chest brown, each feather margined with buff; abdomen mingled 
buff and brown, the latter colour occupying the margins of the feathers ; under tail-coverts, and the under 
surface of the tail-feathers white; bill brown ; feet yellowish white. — 
The Plate represents an old and a young bird, the former about half the natural size. 
