" Osprey ' Farming 



means the expense would not be great. Years 

 ago I found the comparatively bulky common 

 heron was satisfied with one meal of two herrings 

 per day, and the extremely genteel egret is not 

 likely to have so large an appetite. Nor is it 

 necessary to give such luxuries as herrings ; 

 any refuse — raw meat, horseflesh, lights, or fish 

 — if fresh, will serve as food, and sprats, when 

 cheap, would be a much appreciated item of 

 diet. 



People would not be likely to steal birds like 

 this, with dagger-like bills nearly six inches long 

 and the instinct of aiming at the eyes of an 

 aggressor ; indeed, when required for the yearly 

 clipping they would need to be secured in large 

 landing-nets and their heads kept " in chancery " 

 during the operation. 



It is these considerations that lead me to think 

 that the birds could be kept at a profit even if 

 they never bred, since they are so long-lived. 

 But in all probability they would breed, and 

 as, like herons in general, they bring up their 

 young in a nest and feed them themselves, 

 they would be no more difficult to rear than 

 pigeons ; less so, in fact, as rats would be 

 more likely to be fed to the youngsters than 

 to feed on them. 



Once they were got to breed, some selection 

 could be attempted in order to produce birds 



