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 " Philadelphia, 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. G-. CHILDREN, Esq.
of that Institution.
The glands containing the oil used for the purpose of anointing the
surface of the plumage were, in the specimen represented in the plate, extremely
large. Their contents had 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.
FALCO WASHINGTONII.
Adult Male. Plate XI.
Bill shortish, very deep, compressed ; upper mandible with the dorsal
outline forming the third of a circle, rounded above, sloping and flattish
on the sides, nearly straight with a slight obtuse process, on the
acute, overlapping edges, the tip deflected, trigonal, acute, at its lower
part perpendicular to the gap line; lower mandible convex in its dorsal
outline, with inflected acute edges, which are deflected at the end. A
naked cere, in the fore part of which are the oblong, oblique, nearly
dorsal, open nostrils, winch have a process from the anterior margin.
Head rather large, flat above. Neck robust, of ordinary length. Body
ovate. Feet rather short, with the leg long, the tarsus short, rounded,
anteriorly covered with transversely narrow scutella, posteriorly with
large, laterally with small tuberculous scales; toes robust, free, scutellate
above, papillar and scabrous beneath, with large tubercles; claws curved,
rounded, marginate beneath, very acute.
Plumage compact, imbricated, glossy; feathers of the head, neck and
breast narrow and pointed ; of the back, breast and belly, ovate, distinct,
acute; the wing-coverts narrow, acute, compact. Space between the
beak and eye barish, being sparsely covered with feathers consisting of a
shaft, downy at the base, prolonged into a hair. Eyebrow bare, and
greatly projecting. Wings long, second quill longest, first considerably
shorter. Tail of ordinary length, rounded, extending considerably
beyond the tips of the wings, of twelve broad acute feathers. Tarsus
feathered one-third down.
Bill bluish-black, the edges pale, the soft margin towards the commissure,
and the base of the under mandible yellow. Cere yellowishbrown.
Lore light greenish-blue. Iris chestnut-brown. Feet deep yellow
; claws bluish-black. Upper part of the head, hind neck, back, scapulars,
rump, tail-coverts, and posterior tibial feathers blackish-brown,
glossed with a coppery tint. Throat, fore-neck, breast and belly light
brownish-yellow, each feather marked along the centre with blackishbrown.
Wing-coverts light greyish-brown, those next the body becoming
darker and approaching the colour of the back. Primary quills dark
brown, deeper on their inner webs; secondaries lighter, and on their
outer webs of nearly the same light tint as their coverts. Tail uniform
dark brown. Anterior tibial feathers greyish-brown.
Length 3 feet 7 inches, extent of wings 10 feet 2 inches. Bill 3£
inches along the back; along the gap, which commences directly under
the eye, to the tip of the lower mandible 3^, and If deep. Length of
wing when folded 32 inches; length of tail 15 inches ; tarsus 4£, middle
4f, hind claw 2£.
The two stomachs large and baggy. Their contents in the individual
described were fish, fishes' scales, and entrails of various kinds. Intestines
large, but thin and transparent.
Passing over the affinity of this bird to the young of the White-headed
Eagle {Falco leucocephalus), which WILSON has described and figured under
the name of Sea Eagle {Falco Ossifragus Linn.), I shall institute a
comparison between it and the true Sea Eagle or Cinereous Eagle (Falco
Alb'icilla), which bears so strong a resemblance to the Bird of Washing