362 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



suppose, they are fed on semidigested, regurgitated food, "fish 

 chowder." When ten days or two weeks old, they are able to sit up 

 and move about some. At this age, they are fed on bits of raw 

 fish, the male bringing in the fish, which is fed to the young by 

 the female. Mr. Skinner, in his notes, describes a typical feeding 

 scene very well, as follows : 



I noted the male on the stub of a dead tree not far away, but with a fish. 

 He had cut off the head and disposed of the entrails. A moment after, two 

 or three screams sounded and the male dropped down on the nest with the 

 fish. Then the female stood up quietly and the young birds immediately 

 became interested. The father stood on the fish, that I judged had been about 

 a pound in weight, and tore it up, giving it bit by bit to the mother, and occa- 

 sionally a tiny piece directly to a young bird. It was the mother, however, 

 that did most of the feeding to the youngsters. After receiving the fish in not 

 larger than half-inch pieces, she 'chewed' them a bit, and then gave the 

 nestlings some after reducing the size somewhat. The proceedings were very 

 orderly, the young birds remaining quietly in their places and not moving 

 toward the fish only a few inches from them. Apparently, the trout was com- 

 pletely devoured ; as I did not see any otlier disposal made of the bones 

 and skin, I assumed that they were eaten along with the flesh. 



Young ospreys are fed at infrequent intervals. I have read that 

 they are fed only twice, or possibly three times, a day, before 8.30 

 a. m., around noon, and after 4.30 p. m. I have never watched a nest 

 all day, but I have seen them fed at various times during both fore- 

 noon and afternoon. I believe that there are no regular feeding 

 times but that feeding depends on the size and number of the young 

 and the size of the fish caught. A large fish might serve for more 

 than one meal. The feeding time also depends on when the adult 

 succeeds in catching the fish, which is fed as soon as it is caught. 



During the first few weeks, the young are only scantily covered 

 with down, which matches their surroundings in the nest; the nests 

 are usually in open situations, exposed to the full glare of the mid- 

 summer sun; they therefore suffer greatly from the heat, panting 

 with open mouths and with moisture dripi^ing from their tongues. 

 The mother appreciates this and spends much time on hot days 

 standing over them with half-open wings to shield them from the 

 sun. After the young are well feathered, during the last few weeks 

 of nest life, this protection is no longer needed, and the young are 

 left alone in the nest for long periods. 



Young ospreys are well camouflaged with concealing coloration 

 during the downy stage, so well, indeed, that they might easily be 

 overlooked by an aerial enemy; they are also past masters in the 

 art of "freezing", or feigning death. At a note of warning from 

 their parents they lie flat in the nest with wings partly extended 

 and neck stretched out on the floor of the nest, or hanging down 

 among the outer sticks, and there they stay, absolutely motionless, 



