26. Aquila Chrysaetos, LIN.
Falco, apud LINNAEUS - GOULD, Birds of Europe, pl. 6 - BLYTH, Cat. 109 - HORSF., Cat. 57 - F. niger, GMEL. - F. Melanonotus, LATH. - A. daphaenia, HODGSON - A. nobilis, PALLAS.
The GOLDEN EAGLE.
Descr. - Adult rich dark umber brown, glossed with purple on the back and wings ; the feathers of the hind head and nape lanceolate, pale orange brown, having a golden appearance in the sunshine; shoulders, thigh coverts in front, and leg coverts with a tinge of the same ; quills blackish brown, white towards the base on the inner webs, and clouded with greyish black; tail nearly square, the centre feathers somewhat elongated and narrowed, greyish brown, with numerous dark markings and cloudings, or dusky brown with numerous grey mottlings on the inner web, especially towards the base, almost white on the base in young birds.Irides clear orange brown ; cere and feet yellow.
Length about 3 feet to 40 inches; extent 8 feet; wing 28 inches ; tail 17 ; tarsus 4 1/4 ; mid toe and claw 4 1/4 ; bill at gape 2 1/2 ; height 1 1/4.
The 4th quill is the longest; the inner claw is longer than the centre one, but the hind claw is the largest; the nostrils are oval, nearly transverse; the wings do not reach nearly to the end of the tail.
The young bird has the plumage generally of a much lighter shade, the tail almost pure white, except at the tip, which is broadly dusky black, and a good deal of white on other parts, viz., on the primary quills, secondaries, and at the roots of many of the body feathers, especially on the upper tail coverts. This white is gradually overcome by the occurrence of bars and cloudings, and by the third or fourth year the plumage is perfected.
This magnificent Eagle is found but rarely in India, and only, I believe, on the Himalayas. Sykes' Golden Eagle (Cat. No. 7) is not referred to by Horsfield in his Catalogue, and was most probably the next species, as my supposed Golden Eagle (Cat. No. 9) undoubtedly was. (At Simla and the North-Western Himalayas the Lammergeyer is often called the Golden Eagle.) Its habits in Europe are well known. It breeds on steep cliffs, and lays two eggs white, with brown and purplish blotches.
The golden Eagle is found over the greater part of Northern and Central Europe, Asia, and America. In Central Asia it is trained by the Kirghises and other tribes, to kill antelopes, foxes, and even wolves, it is said ; and is held in the highest esteem by all the tribes of Central Asia. It is carried on a perch between two men, or fixed on a horse. It is said to seize the smaller ani- mals with one foot, and drag the other on the ground, but fixes on the head and neck of the larger animals. It is named Berkul or Bjurkul by the Tartars, and a trained Eagle is worth two camels. It is the Bearcoote of Atkinson in his Travels in Northern and Central Asia.*
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