244 SKETCHES OP EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



Gould's two figures — of an adult and a young bird, natural size — 

 please us very well. The general habits of this species are familiar 

 to our ornithological readers, but for a minute and masterly biogra- 

 phy of the bird we refer to the Naturalist, No. iii., vol. i., p. 105. 

 An adult male, the size of life, very well delineated, of our fa- 

 miliar old friend the Barn Owl — Strix Jiammea Chouette 



effraie, Fr. — Schleyer Kautz, G.*--whom we shall pass over witli 

 this slight notice, though, judging by the looks of the bird in the 

 plate, it may be somewhat dangerous to offer him such an affront. 

 Four artists have been employed on this plate. 



The Shore Lark, Alauda alpeslris — Alouette a-col-noir, Fr. — 

 Berg Lerche, G. Beautiful birds, admirably drawn and coloured 

 — both sexes, natural size. Inhabits the regions of the Polar Cir- 

 cle, and breeds in the marshy woody tracts of North America. A 

 few specimens have been killed in Britain. The male is remarkable 

 for the tuft upon its head, and its plumage in general is brighter 

 than in the female. We hope all the ornithological readers of the 

 Analyst have perused Wilson's interesting account of the Shore 

 Lark, and shall therefore, at present, say nothing of its habits. 



Splendid figures — of an adult and a young bird, half the natural 

 size — of the Common Ossifrage, Ossifraga albicilla — Grand Py- 

 garque, Fr., — Aquila commune. It. Dispersed, though rather 

 sparingly, throughout Europe, being least abundant in our own 

 island ; much more frequent in many parts of America. Haunts 

 large rivers and lakes, feeding on fish, on which account it is shot 

 wherever it occurs. The following extract from Mr. Gould's work 

 will doubtless interest the reader : — " In some parts of America the 

 Osprey is very common, especially in the United States, where it 

 makes its appearance on the return of spring : hence it is a welcome 

 visiter, since its arrival betokens the opening of the rivers and the 

 return of the hordes of fish. Here, along the banks of mighty 

 streams, undisturbed and unmolested (save by the Bald Eagle, its 

 professed enemy), it builds its nest in tall trees, constructing it of 

 sticks and turf, so as to form a large mass, on the edges of which 

 other small birds congregate and nidify without the slightest injury; 

 in fact, the Osprey is a quiet bird, with little ferocity or daring in 

 his temperament. His manner of taking his prey is very remark- 

 able : hovering for a time on wide-spread wings over the water, he 

 then sails about, intently gazing on the element beneath. The 

 moment a fish appears, down he plunges like an arrow, almost dis- 

 appearing beneath the water, but rising in a moment, with the vic- 

 tim grasped in his strong and incurved talons : throwing the spray 



