Eagle, a bird of prey, of the order rap-tores, family falconidoe, and subfamily aquilinoe. The eagles have a strong bill, elevated at the culmen, straight at the base, and much arched to the tip, which is hooked and sharp; the sides are compressed, and the lateral margins festooned; the nostrils are in the cere, large; the wings are long and acute, the third, fourth, and fifth quills usually the longest; the tail is long, ample, mostly rounded at the end; the tarsi are long, either clothed with feathers to the base of the toes as in the golden eagle, or naked and covered with scales as in the bald eagle; the toes are long, strong, armed with large, curved, and sharp claws. In the type genus aquila (Moehr.) belongs the golden eagle of Europe and America (A. chrysaetos, Linn.). The length is about 3 ft. 2 in., the extent of wings 7 ft., the bill along the back 2f in., the tarsus 4 1/2 in., and the middle toe and claw the same; the bill is very robust, angular above; the head is moderate, the neck short, and the body full; the tarsi are feathered to the toes, and the feet are very stout; the middle toe has a membrane at the base connecting it with the others.

These are the dimensions of an adult female, the male being considerably smaller, in conformity with the rule that in birds of prey the females are larger than the males. The plumage is compact, imbricated, and glossy; the feathers of the neck and head are narrow and pointed, and may be erected like a short crest; the tail consists of 12 broad feathers. In the adult the bill is black at the tip, bluish gray at the base, the cere and margins yellow; iris chestnut; toes bright yellow, claws black; general color of the plumage dark brown, glossed with purple; the hind head and neck light brownish yellow, the feathers with dark shafts; the wing coverts light brown; primaries brownish black; tail rounded, dark brown, lighter at the base, irregularly marked with whitish; lower tail coverts, feathers of legs and tarsi, yellowish brown. The immature bird is of a deep brown, with the tail white at the base for three quarters of its length, and dark at the end; this is the ring-tailed eagle of Wilson and others; the adult, from its majestic appearance, is called in Europe the royal eagle; the American species is considered distinct by some, and is called A. Canadensis (Linn.). The golden eagle is rarely seen in the eastern portion of the United States, though specimens have been obtained in all the northern states; the species is most common in the northwest, on the upper Mississippi, and in the mountainous regions; it is also found in the cold and mountainous districts of northern Europe and Asia. The flight is powerful, though less rapid than that of the bald eagle, being continued for hours in majestic circles at a great elevation, and without apparent exertion; its prey is not seized on the wing, but is pounced upon on the ground from a great height with rarely failing precision.

Its food consists of young fawns, raccoons, hares, wild turkeys, and other birds and animals of similar size, and, when hard pressed by hunger, of carrion; capable of going several days without food, it gorges itself when opportunity offers. Its strength is great, its weight about 12 lbs.; it is able to withstand extreme cold, and pursues its prey in the most violent storms. The voice is harsh and screaming, and very loud at the breeding season. The plumage does not attain its full beauty until the fourth year; the American Indians are fond of using the tail feathers as ornaments for their persons, pipes, and weapons. The nest is large, consists of a rude collection of sticks, and is placed on some inaccessible cliff; the eggs are generally two, of a dull white, with brownish shades, 3 1/2 in. long and 2 1/2 in diameter at the widest part; they are laid in February or March; the young, when able to provide for themselves, are driven from the eyry. This bird is long-lived, individuals, it is said, having been kept in captivity for more than a century. In proportion to their size, the eagles are less courageous and less powerful than the falcons.

The noble nature of the eagle, like that of the lion, is mostly a creation of the imagination, founded on external characters which have no corresponding internal qualities; he attacks where he is sure of victory, gorges himself like a glutton, patiently bears forced abstinence from food, and at last soils his beak with carrion; the king bird and the shrike are far his superiors in bravery, and all the qualities which have been specially assumed for him can be found in great perfection in many common birds. The eagle is monogamous, and the mated pair are generally not far from each other; the same nest is used for many years. The scent of the eagle is feeble, but his sight is exceedingly keen. Like the condor, the eagle has been accused of carrying off little children to its nest, but such instances in both birds must be very rare, though they may have occurred. Another species of this genus is the spotted or rough-footed eagle (A. noevia, Gmel.), smaller than the golden, of a brownish color, with black white-tipped tail and wings yellow spotted; it is found in the mountains of central and southern Europe and northern Africa, and preys upon the smaller animals. - In the genus haliaetus (Sav.) belong the fishing or sea eagles, the best known and largest of which is the bald or white-headed eagle (II leucocephalus, Linn.). The bill is 2 3/4 in. long, very robust, convex above; the head is large, and flat above; neck short and thick; body large, wings long, and tail rounded; the tarsus only 3 in. long, bare for its lower two thirds, and covered with large scales; the feet are short and robust, and the toes are free, rough, and tuberculous beneath, with very sharp curved claws.

The plumage is compact and imbricated; the feathers of the head, neck, and breast are narrow and pointed, and of the other parts broad and rounded; there is a bare space between the bill and eye with a few bristly feathers; the eyebrows are bare and very prominent. In the adult the bill, cere, iris, and feet are yellow, the first three being often almost white; the general color of the plumage is chocolate-brown, the feathers with paler margins; the head, greater part of neck, tail and its coverts, white; the quills are brownish black, with lighter shafts. The length is about 3 ft., and the extent of wings 7 ft.; the female is somewhat larger. In the young bird the bill is black above, bluish gray at the end of the lower mandible; the feathers, which are white in the adult, are dark brown like the rest of the plumage, margined with lighter; the head and tail become white between the third and tenth year, according to circumstances. It is very generally distributed over North America. Its usual food is fish, but it eats the flesh of animals when it can get it, and often seizes small quadrupeds and birds of inferior flight, and when pressed by hunger will feed on decaying carcasses.

When the fish hawk follows the shoals of fish in the rivers in spring, the eagle sits watching from the top of a tall tree; as soon as the former rises with a fish, and bends his course for the shore to devour it, the latter mounts above him, and forces him to give up his prey; the eagle closes his wings, drops down with great quickness, and seizes the fish before it reaches the water. The flight of this bird is very majestic, accomplished by easy flappings; it sails along with extended wings, and, according to Audubon, can ascend until it disappears from view, without any apparent motion of the wings or tail; and from the greatest heights it descends with a rapidity which cannot be followed by the eye. All authors are agreed as to the cowardice of the eagle when it is suddenly surprised or meets with unexpected resistance; a game cock put into a cage with a full-grown male at once attacked the eagle and beat him in the most approved manner, and even the common cock has fairly put this cowardly bird to flight. The females are somewhat larger, braver, and fiercer than the males. Like the golden eagles, these birds live to a great age. They are generally seen in pairs, and the union appears to last for life.

Along the southern Mississippi incubation commences in January; the nest is placed on the top of a tall tree, and not on cliffs like the golden eagle's; it is rudely made of sticks, turf, weeds, and moss, 5 or 6 ft. in diameter, used year after year, and added to annually. The eggs are usually two, of a dull white color. The attachment of the old birds to their young is great. The weight of the adult male is from 6 to 8 lbs., that of the female from 8 to 12. The flesh of the young is said to be palatable, having the taste of veal. Franklin, as quoted by Audubon, laments that this bird should have been selected as the emblem of the United States, on account of its cowardice, tyranny, and general ill condition. As observed in confinement, the female not only attacks and abuses the male, but stretches her wings to the utmost extent, attempting to cover with them every piece of food placed in the cage. The name of bald eagle is really a misnomer, as the head is as thickly feathered as in any species; the proper name is white-headed eagle. - The bird of Washington (H. Washingtonii, Aud.) was first described by Audubon (" Ornithological Biography," vol. i., p. 58), and seems not to have been seen by any other ornithologist; he first saw it on the upper Mississippi in February, 1814; a few years after he met with a pair near the Ohio river in Kentucky, which had built their nest on a range of high cliffs; two years after the discovery of the nest he killed a male which was the subject of his description; after this he saw two other pairs near the Ohio river.

The flight of this is said to be different from that of the white-headed eagle, the former encircling a greater space, sailing nearer the surface of the earth, and darting spirally upon its prey. The bill was bluish black, with pale edges; the iris chestnut-brown; upper part of the head, hind neck, back, scapulars, rump, tail coverts, and posterior tibial feathers, blackish brown, with a coppery gloss; the throat, fore neck, breast, and abdomen light brownish yellow, each feather blackish brown in the centre; wing coverts light grayish brown, those next the body approaching the color of the back; primaries and tail dark brown; anterior tibial feathers grayish brown. The length is given at 3 ft. 7 in., extent of wings 10 ft. 2 in., bill 3 1/4 in., tarsus 4 1/2 in., and the weight 14 1/2 lbs.; this was a male, and of course the female would have been considerably larger. Though this bird is generally admitted as a species on the authority of Audubon, many ornithologists do not regard it as such; and from Audubon's own testimony there seems sufficient ground for doubting the validity of the species. - The white-tailed or cinereous sea eagle of Europe (H. albicilla, Linn.), the young of which Audubon thinks bears the greatest resemblance to his bird of Washington, has at this age a blackish bill; head and hind neck dark brown, with white markings, disappearing with age; fore neck and breast brown, with brownish white marks; general color of the plumage light brown, with a dark streak on the middle of each feather.

In the old bird the bill becomes yellow, the general plumage grayish brown, palest on the head and neck, and the tail white; the length is 3 ft., and the extent of wings 6 ft. 9 in. This species, called also osprey, ossifrage, and pygargus, is distributed over the northern portions of the old world; it feeds principally on fish, like our white-headed eagle, forcing the fish hawk to provide for it. It prefers cold climates, and the vicinity of the sea, though it visits the interior rivers and lakes; when unable to obtain fish, it feeds upon sea birds, young seals, and any small animals which it can surprise. Its flight is neither so elevated nor so rapid as that of the previously described species. The nest is placed on cliffs near the sea, and the eggs are two, of a dirty white color; incubation takes place in April. - The northern sea eagle (H. pelagicvs, Pallas) is the largest of the family, and inhabits the islands of Alaska and northeastern Asia. The total length of the female is 3 3/4 ft.; the wings are shorter than usual, and the tail is wedge-shaped. In the adult the bill and the legs are yellow; the general plumage brownish black, with a large frontal space, greater wing coverts, abdomen, and tail, white.

In the young the tail is white, with brownish black marks, the quills black, the secondaries and tertiaries white at their bases; other parts dull brownish black. It is a fishing eagle, though it occasionally captures birds and quadrupeds. According to Pallas, it breeds in northeastern Asia. - There are several genera of smaller eagles, as the crested eagles (spizaetus, Vieill.). The black-tufted eagle (S. ornatus, Daud.) is as large as a raven, black, with a long tuft hanging from the occiput, and the edge of the wings and bands under the tail whitish; the crest is mixed with white; the thighs and tarsal feathers banded with black and white; tarsus feathered to the toes; it inhabits South America.

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos).

Bald Eagle (Haliaetus leucocephalus).

Cinereous Sea Eagle (Haliaetus albicilla).

Reptile Eagle (Morphnus urubitinga).

Other species are found in Africa and the Indian archipelago, where they live in jungles and woods, pouncing on pheasants, hares, and similar animals passing underneath; they also seize prey on the wing. The reptile eagles (morphnus, Cuv.) are peculiar to South America; they live in the forests, feeding on reptiles, small animals, and birds. A well known species is the M. urubitinga (Gmel.); this is black, without a crest, rump and lower part of the tail white; the long tarsi are bare of feathers. The harpy eagles (genus thrasaetus, Gray, or harpyia, Vieill.) are peculiar to South America; they will be described in the article Harpy. The genus pandion (Sav.) will be described under FISH Hawk, the common name of the best known species. - The caracara, or Brazilian eagle, does not belong to the aquili-noe, but to the polyborinoe, a subfamily coming nearest to the vultures; this bird (polyborus tharus, Molina) is of various shades of brown, with streaks and mottlings of brownish black; wings barred with white, and the tail coverts dull white barred with dusky; tail grayish white, with 16 narrow bars and a terminal band of blackish brown; the length is about 2 ft. and the extent of wings 4 ft., the bill 2 1/4 in.

It is found from Florida to Brazil, and it feeds on carcasses, small reptiles, and birds; it has the habits of the vultures, with the additional power of carrying prey in its talons; it walks like the turkey buzzard; its flight is rapid and graceful. - The eagle, in mythology, is the sacred bird of the Hindoo Vishnu and of the Greek Zeus. In the Roman ceremony of apotheosis an eagle ascended from the burning catafalque, and was believed to bear the soul of the deceased to Olympus. In the Scandinavian mythology, it is the bird of wisdom, and sits in the boughs of the tree yggdrasill. - The Etruscans were the first who adopted the eagle as the symbol of royal power, and bore its image as a standard at the head of their armies. From the time of Marius it was the principal emblem of the Roman republic, and the only standard of the legions. It was represented with outspread wings, and was usually of silver till the reign of Hadrian, who made it of gold. The double-headed eagle was in use among the Byzantine emperors, to indicate, it is said, their claim to the empire both of the East and the West; it was adopted in the 14th century by the German emperors, and afterward appeared on the arms of Russia. The arms of Prussia are distinguished by the black eagle, and those of Poland bore the white.

The white-headed eagle is the emblematic device of the United States of America, is the badge of the order of the Cincinnati, and is figured on coins. Napoleon adopted the eagle for the emblem of imperial France; it was not, however, represented in heraldic style, but in its natural form, with the thunderbolts of Jupiter. It was disused under the Bourbons, but was restored by a decree of Louis Napoleon (Jan. 1, 1852).

Brazilian Eagle, or Caracara (Polyborus tharus).

Eagle #1

Eagle, a gold coin of the United States, of the value of $10, first coined in 1795, as provided by the act of congress of April 2, 1792, of the fineness of 22 carats (916 2/3 thousandths), and weighing 270 grains, thus containing 247 1/2 grains of pure gold. The silver dollar contained at the same time 371) grains pure silver, the ratio of valuation of silver to gold being as 15 to 1. An ounce of pure gold being worth more than 15 of silver in Europe, our gold coins continued to be exported until the act of June 28, 1834, substituted the ratio of 16 to 1 by reducing the fineness of the eagle to 899 2/10 thousandths, and its weight to 258 grains, being 232 grains pure gold. By the act of Jan. 18, 1837, the fineness of the eagle, as of all the other gold and silver coins, was raised to 900 thousandths, its weight remaining as before, 258 grains, of which 232 2/10 were pure gold; and at these rates it continues to be coined. There are also a half eagle, first coined in 1795, a quarter eagle, first coined in 1796, and a double eagle, first coined in 1849. These coins are a legal tender for all sums.

The number of coins of each kind produced at the mint and branches from their organization to June 30, 1873, is as follows:

Double eagles......32,336.404

Eagles..............5,658,249

Half eagles........13,959,842

Quarter eagles.....10,417,561

The total number of pieces is 62,267,056, valued at $798,103,682 50. (See Coins.)