mpletely feathered tarsus. They build their nests in the tops of the
tallest trees in the wild, mountainous country of the west, and more
rarely upon ledges of the cliffs. The nests are made of large sticks,
lined with smaller ones and leaves and weeds. Their eggs are the most
handsome of the Raptores, being white in color, and blotched, splashed,
spotted and specked with light brown and clouded with gray or lilac, of
course varying endlessly in pattern and intensity. Size 2.90 x 2.50.
Data.--Monterey Co., Cal., May 3, 1888. Three eggs. Nest of sticks,
lined with pine needles, in a pine tree, 50 feet up.

[Illustration 217: White.]
[Illustration: Rough-legged Hawk.]
[Illustration: Golden Eagle.]
[Illustration: right hand margin.]

Page 216

[Illustration 218: BALD EAGLE.]

Page 217

351. GRAY SEA EAGLE. _Haliaeetus albicilla._

A common species on the sea coasts of Europe; straggling to southern
Greenland, where it nests upon the rocky cliffs.

352. BALD EAGLE. _Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus._

Range.--Whole of North America; most abundant on the Atlantic coast;
breeds throughout its range. This large white-headed and white-tailed
species is abundant in sufficiently wild localities along the Atlantic
coast. It only attains the white head and tail when three years old, the
first two years, being blackish. It is about 34 inches in length and
expands about seven feet, never over eight feet, and only birds of the
second year (when they are larger than the adults) ever approach this
expanse. Their food consists of fish (which they sometimes capture
themselves, but more often take from the Osprey), carrion, and Ducks,
which they catch in flight. Their nests are massive structures of
sticks, in the tops of tall trees. They very rarely lay more than two
eggs, which are white. Size 2.75 x 2.10. Data.--Mt. Pleasant, S. C.,
nest in top of a pine, 105 feet from the ground; made of large sticks
and lined with Spanish moss.

352a. NORTHERN BALD EAGLE.--_Haliaeetus leucocephalus alascanus._

Range.--Alaska. This sub-species averages slightly larger than the Bald
Eagle, but never exceeds the largest dimensions of that species. Its
nesting habits and eggs are the same, except that it more often builds
its nests on rocky cliffs than does the Bald Eagle. The eggs are laid in
February and March.

[Illustration 219: White.]
[Illustration: Bald Eagle.]
[Illustration: deco.]
[Illustration: right hand margin.]