4:li ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



LETTER IV. 



" I think he'll be to Rome 



As is the osprej' to the fish, who takes it 

 By sovereignty of nature." 



Co RIO LAN us. 



The Osprey miscalled Sea Eagle — An Outlaw — Hue 

 and Cry — Unholy Alliance — Occurrence of the 

 Osprey in Sussex — The Mullet Hawk — Rival 

 Fishers — The Osprey at Pagham — Anecdote — 

 The Biter bit. 



While the term "golden'' is often applied erro- 

 neously to the cinereous or sea-eagle, the osprey, 

 or fishing-hawk (Pandion haliceetus) is as fre- 

 quently honoured with the title of the latter 

 bird, at least in this part of England, where, 

 although far from abundant, it is of much more 

 fi-equent occurrence than its gigantic namesake.* 

 The old oak trees in the neighbourhood of some 

 of the well-stocked ponds in the district of the 



* Mark wick does not allude to the osprey, either by 

 that name or under any synonyme, in his " Catalogue 

 of Sussex Birds." 



