290 UISTORY OF THE 



frout of the tarsus below the kuee, and terminating in an angle. Primary cov- 

 erts hard, stiff, and acuminate, almost so as the quills themselves; third quill 

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

 outer three deeply emargiuated, the fourth sinuated, on inner webs." 



Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Gmel.), 



AMERICAN OSPREY. 

 PLATE XIX. 



Summer resident; not uncommon. Arrive the first of April; 

 begin laying the last of April; leave in October. 



B. 44. R. 425. C. 530. G. 196, 136. U. 864. 



Habitat. North America in general, from Hudson's Bay 



and Alaska; south into South America. 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Above, plain dusky grayish brown, the tail more 

 grayish, narrowly tipped with white, and crossed by about six or seven narrow 

 bands of dusky; head, neck and entire lower parts pure white, the chest some- 

 times slightly blotched or spotted with brown, but usually immaculate; sides of 

 head with a dusky stripe from lores across ear coverts, and top of head usually 

 more or less marked with dusky. Adult female: Similar to the male, but chest 

 much more heavily spotted or blotched with brown (never immaculate). Young: 

 Above, blackish brown, each feather distinctly bordered terminally with white 

 or buffy; otherwise like adult, the sexes differing in the same manner. Doiony 

 young: Dull sooty grayish or dusky above, more or less mixed or tinged with 

 rusty or fulvous, relieved by a broad whitish stripe down middle of back and 

 rump; a dusky stripe on sides of head, and three others on top of head, sepa- 

 rated by whitish stripes; hinder portion of wing whitish, anterior portion dusky; 

 lower parts dull whitish, the chest brownish or dusky. {Ridgicay.) 



stretch of 



Iris yellow; bill, cere and claws bluish black; legs and feet 

 pale blue, sometimes with a greenish hue. 



This widely-distributed species is quite common along the 

 seacoasts and shores of inland waters, but is never met with 

 far away, except during migration, as it wholly feeds upon fish, 

 which it swoops down upon and captures at or near the surface 

 of the water, never feeding upon the dead fish that wash up on 

 the shores, nor will it stoop to pick up one accidentally dropped 

 from its talons. A peaceably-disposed bird, that does not harm 

 or disturb other birds, and the little ones appear to look upon 

 it as a friend. As evidence of this, they are often to be seen 



