546 



TTTE AMERICAN OSPREY. 



resomulint; ^l)la^ll, nfu'ii i|uiu- ilisajipearin^ hcnfalli the water, hut rising attain 

 (juicklv with a tisli tiniily secured in its talnns. The l)ir(l ujiuu rising imniedi- 

 atelv adjusts tlie catcli, ])lacing it head I'lirenmst so that it will (iffef the least 

 fesistance to the aif in llighl. X'oi int"rei|netitly the liawk secures a fish which 

 it is haveK nhle lo hanille. and occasionally it strikes one so large that it 



is drawn under and 

 drowned l)efore it can 

 disengage its claws. 

 Clear water is essential 

 to the Osprey's success, 

 for he must needs see 

 and strike front afar. 

 The liird has little use. 

 theref(.)re, for the turhid 

 Snake ]'Ji\er. and none 

 at all for the glacial 

 streams which rise about 

 Rainier ami Baker. 

 Neither is the Os])re_\- 

 often seen along the 

 west coast, hut it enjoys 

 lite tiiore (|uiet waters 

 of day's Harbor and 

 Puget Sound, ami it is 

 found thruout the length 

 of the Colutnbia River 

 anil upon its larger 

 ti'ibntaries. Tt is not <1 

 regular winter resident, 

 having ai)])aretitly ac- 

 (|nire(l the migrating 

 habit in countries where 

 ice interferes with win- 

 ter fishing; but it re- 

 turns to its hautits as 

 earh' as the first week in 

 at American Lake, near 



Tiikcn nciir Cli-iun. I'lwio by llic Author. 



OSl'KI':\"S liC.CS I.N SITU. 



NOTE THE MISCELLANEOUS CHARACTER OK Tlti-l .MATERIALS 



WHICH COMPRISE THE NEST. OF WHICH ONLY TlIK 



CENTRAL PORTION IS SHOWN. 



.\pril. and we li,i\e one record o| ii.s occurrence. 

 Tacoma. on the 26th da\- of |anuar\-. 



The Osprey's nest, a huge aggregation of sticks 



and 



trash, is placed. 



nortnalh", near the water's edge ni-xm the cliffs, or upon rocks projecting in 

 mid-stream, or else high in a neighboring tree. Persecution. liowe\er. will 

 ilri\e it to the dee]) woods miles from its !ishing grounds. .\ typical nest 



