FISHING OSPREV. 247 



it twice on the ground, and once on the roof of a low house. 

 " The nest is very large, sometimes measuring fully four feet 

 across, and is composed of a quantity of materials sufficient to 

 render its depth equal to its diameter. Large sticks, mixed with 

 sea-weeds, tufts of strong grass, and other materials, form its 

 exterior, while the interior is composed of sea-weeds and finer 

 grasses." The eggs, as he informs us, are three or four, of 

 a broadly oval form, yellowish-white, densely covered with 

 large irregular spots of reddish-brovA^n. An egg of this bird 

 in my possession is two inches and four twelfths in length, 

 one inch and ten twelfths in its greatest breadth, of a short 

 ovate form, with the narrow end much rounded, its ground co- 

 lour white, with large irregular blotches of dark greenish- 

 brown, and numerous small spots of light brownish-grey. 



According to the American ornitholo<?ists above mentioned, 

 the female, while incubating, is supplied with food by the 

 male, and the young remain in the nest until perfectly fledged 

 and able to provide for themselves. Their parents however 

 assist them for several weeks after they have gone abroad. 

 This bird is indeed remarkably affectionate and gentle, seldom 

 molests any other species, confining itself entirely to the pur- 

 suit of its finny prey, and is more social than any other of its 

 family. In America it is greatly molested by the ^Vhite- 

 headed Sea7Eagle, which frequently wrests from it the fish 

 which it has just caught. In our country no instance of this 

 kind has been observed ; but with us, both the Osprey and the 

 White-tailed Eagle are of so rare occurrence that their encoun- 

 ters must be very unusual. 



An examination of the organs of this bird, with reference to 

 its habits, may prove interesting not only in itself, but with 

 respect to other birds. We may assume that in a family of 

 a rapacious character destined to seize on living prey, it has 

 been intended to confine itself to fish, which it must clutch 

 from the deep as they swim near the surface. As fishes only 

 occasionally come within reach, the Osprey is furnished with 

 extremely long wings and strong drepressor muscles, by means 

 of which it is enabled not only to fly with ease to great dis- 

 tances over the water, and remain long on wnng without un- 



