FALCONUXE DIURNAL KAPTOKES. 439 



to a rather deep buff or cream-color, which is relieved by a greater 

 or less amount of brown and reddish spotting ; the spots are nearly 

 always small, and usually rather scattered, but sometimes they are 

 thickly sprinkled over the entire surface ; the markings are generally 

 of several shades of rusty brown, but the tint vanes from umber 

 to reddish chestnut. 



SUBFAMILY PANDIONTN^. THE OSPEEYS. 



CHAR. Outer toe reversible. Claws very large and strongly curved, of equal length, 

 their under side narrowed and rounded. Plumage without at tershaf ts. that of the thighs 

 very close and compact, the feathers short. 



The above characters separate the Ospreys from all other diurnal Accipitres. (See 

 page 426.) The subfamily includes a single genus, Pandion, which occurs throughout 

 the temperate and tropical portions of the globe. 



GENUS PANDION SAVIGNY. 



Pandion SAVIGN. Desc. de 1' Egypte, 1809, 272. Type Falco haliaetus LINN. 



GEN. CHAR. Bill inflated, the cere depressed below the arched culmen; end of bill 

 much developed, forming a strong, pendent hook. Anterior edge of nostril touching 

 edge of cere. Whole of tarsus and toes (except terminal joint) covered with rough, 

 somewhat imbricated, projecting scales. Outer toe versatile; all the claws of equal 

 length. In their shape, also, they are peculiar; they contract in thickness to their lower 

 side, where they are much narrower than on top, as well as perfectly smooth and-round- 

 ed; the middle claw has the usual sharp lateral ridge, but it is not very distinct. All the 

 toes perfectly free. Tibiae not plumed, but covered compactly with short feathers, these 

 reaching down the front of the tarsus below the knee, and terminating in an angle. Pri- 

 mary coverts hard, stiff, and acuminate, almost as much so as the quill themselves; third 

 quill longest; first longer than fifth; second, third, and fourth sinuated on outer webs; 

 outer three deeply emarginated, the fourth sinuated on inner webs. 



Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Gmel.) 



AMERICAN OSPKEY. 



Popular synonyms. Fish Eagle; Fish Hawk. 



Falco carolinensis GMEL. S. N. i, 1788,263. 

 Pandion carolinensis AUD. B. Am. 1831,pl. 81; Orn. Biog. 1, 1831, 415. CASS. In Baird's 



B. N. Am. 1858. 44. BAIRD, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 44. 

 Pandion haliaetus var. carolinensis RIDGW. 1870. B. B. R. Hist. N. Am. B. iii, 1874, 



183, 184. 



Pandion haliaetus carolinensis RIDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 425. 

 Pandion haliaetus AUD. B. Am. i, 1840, 64, pi. 15; Orn. Biog. i, 1831, 415,-CouES, Key, 1872. 

 219; Check List 1874, No, 360; 2d ed. 1882, No. 530; B. N. W. 1874, 367. 



HAB. Whole of North America, and south through West Indies and Middle America 

 to northern Brazil, Trinidad, and Panama. Represented in the Palaearctic Region by 

 the true P. haliaetus (Linn.), and in the Australian Region by P. haliaetus leucocephalus 

 (Gould). 



SP. CHAR. Young male (No. 17,227, San Jose, Lower California, December 15, 1859, J. 

 Xantus). Upper surface dark vandyke-brown, with a faint purplish cast; quills black. 

 Every feather with a conspicuous sharply denned terminal crescent of pure white. Tail 



