256 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I50 



Records are as follows : 



Panama : Rio La Jagua, Chico. 



DARifiN: Rio Tuira (Chapman, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 55, 1926, 



p. 223). 

 San Blas: Perme (Griscom, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 12, 1932, p. 316) ; 



Puerto Obaldia, July 18, 1933 (Specimen in the Brandt collection at the 



University of Cincinnati). 



Family PANDIONIDAE : Ospreys ; Aguilas Pescadoras 



The ospreys, specialized for capturing their food of fish, are 

 widespread through the great continents of the world and as marginal 

 populations range in the Bahamas in the West Indian area and to 

 distant islands of the Pacific, in addition to an extensive distribution 

 through the East Indies. The single species is divided into 5 geographic 

 races, distinguished by differences in size and in extent of dark 

 markings, but all unmistakably ospreys wherever they are found. 



PANDION HALIAETUS CAROLINENSIS (Gmelin): Osprey; Aguila 



Pescadora 



Figure 46 



FaXco Halta'etos carolinensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 1, 1788, p. 263. 

 (South Carolina.) 



Size large, wings long and pointed ; under surface and side of head 

 white, with a prominent dark streak through the eye. Found over 

 or near water. 



Description. — Length, 510 to 610 mm. Adult, forecrown, hindneck, 

 streak through eye, and rest of upper surface deep brownish black ; 

 rest of crown and under surface white, with a band of rufous-brown 

 spots across the upper breast. 



Immature, crown streaked with brownish black ; feathers of dorsal 

 surface tipped conspicuously with white. 



Outer toe reversible so that it may be directed forward or back; 

 imdersurface of toes with sharp spicules; undersurface of claws 

 rounded, instead of grooved as in other hawks; tarsus strong; leg 

 with short compact feathers. In the hand ospreys have a strong, oily, 

 fishy odor. 



Measurements (from Friedmann, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 50, pt. 11, 

 1950, p. 529).— Males (15 specimens), wing 462-498 (477.4), tail 

 199-220 (208.8), culmen from cere 31-34 (32), tarsus 58-63 (60) 

 mm. 



Females, wing 488-512 (503.7), tail 212-240 (225.4), culmen 

 from cere 32-36 (35), tarsus 58-68 (63.3) mm. 



