HISTORY OF THE LOCH AN EILEIN OSPREYS 157 



to Harvie-Brown by Hinxman, William Douglas, and Colin 

 Phillip. Two young ones were hatched at the castle nest. 



1895. This year the Ospreys hatched at the castle nest 

 in June. They were photographed by O. A. J. Lee. Ap- 

 parently there were again two young birds. 



1896. The Ospreys hatched at the castle nest. W. Evans 

 says they were first seen on 8th April, and the female was 

 " sitting " on the 26th. There were two young birds. 



1897. The two birds arrived on 29th March, and hatched 

 at the castle nest ; probably there were two young birds. 



1898. The two birds arrived at the castle nest on 29th 

 March, but apparently they had no young there this year ! 

 Four Ospreys were seen flying together near Glen Feshie, 

 but their place of breeding seemed unknown. 



1899 the year of the Rothiemurchus forest fire. Two 

 birds arrived on 3rd April and nested. A third bird arrived, 

 and there was much fighting, in the course of which the nest 

 was damaged and the eggs were smashed. It is not known 

 whether the birds nested elsewhere. In May of this year an 

 Osprey was shot at Knockespock. 



1900. Two Ospreys came to Rothiemurchus, and one of 

 them visited the castle nest several times. They did not 

 breed there, nor, so far as is known, anywhere else in the 

 district. They nested elsewhere, as I have told at some 

 length in my previous article. 



1901. Apparently only one bird came to the castle nest, 

 arriving on 1st April, but seemed to be mateless. It was 

 seen fighting with a golden eagle. 



1902. A single Osprey came to the castle nest on 4th 

 April, and apparently remained mateless. 



Since 1902 no Osprey has, so far as I know, been seen at 

 Rothiemurchus, though there was a vague rumour that one 

 was seen in the neighbourhood in 1906. 



This finishes my story a story of such ruthless persecu- 

 tion and of such altogether inadequate protection that the 

 wonder is that the Ospreys survived so long. It will be a 

 matter for serious regret if we permanently lose these birds, 

 but lose them we shall even if we have not already lost 

 them unless this persecution is prevented, and the birds, 



