THE AMERICAN OSPREY. 



545 



and tyranny are almost synom-mous, it is a comtdrt to tind liirds who mintl 

 their own business and exhibit a proper huniiht\-. (")spre\'s are sinii)le-hearted, 

 honest f(jli\, and they deserve protectimi, if for no Ijetter reasmi, sinipl\- be- 

 cause tlie}' are inoffensive and picturesque, 'i'he fact that these birds require 

 a few dozen sahnon for their annual suppurt. has greatl}' preyed upon the 

 minds of certain men who reck'on their uwn catch b\' the scow-load: and a 

 cruel ]iersecution 



has broken out j^^aimKs^^'^i^^ ^iif gf f gi^iwiKm 

 in some quarters, 

 l^ersecution as 

 senseless as it is 

 selfish. N(i true 

 sportsman, how- 

 ever, will be- 

 grudge to tliis 

 bird his h;iril- 

 earned catch, 

 t a k e n li \' a 

 ]) 1 u n g e a n d 

 strike, which is, 

 i f a n y\ h i n g, 

 rather more 

 sportsman - lilce 

 than the use of 

 line and lure. 



The Os|)re\' 

 ])re_\s exclusi\-el\ 

 upon fish and 

 c o \' e r s Inn g 

 stretches of wa- 

 ter in its tireles- 

 search. It tlie^ 

 along at a height 

 of fift\- or a hun- 

 dred feet abo\ c 

 the water, and 

 when its fhm\- 

 prey is siglited. 

 pauses for a nn >- 

 ment on hover- 

 ing wings, then 

 drops with a 



Tal.\-i. 



■itr t lu-ltin. 



I'lu'U' bv llic Author. 



"HIGH IN A XHIGHDORING TREE.' 



