THE OSPREY 57 



is quite unable to raise it from the water, and cases are 

 on record of the birds being dragged by their prey beneath 

 the surface. This can happen but rarely, however, for the 

 Osprey, although itself weighing only four or five pounds, 

 is able to lift a fish of considerably greater weight than 

 itself. Such a fish taken by the Osprey and partly eaten 

 when found weighed no less than six pounds. The method 

 in which the Osprey carries its prey is interesting : in order 

 to reduce wind resistance to a minimum the Fishing Eagle 

 carries the fish with the head pointing in the direction of 

 its flight, and a bird has been known to turn a fish round 

 in mid-air so as to bring its head to the front. During 

 the flight both feet are used for holding the prey, but 

 immediately before alighting one foot is disengaged and 

 stretched forward to grasp the perch. The other talon, 

 holding the fish, also grips the branch, though less securely, 

 and the fish is held fu-m by the weight of the bird. 



The Osprey is quite six weeks later than the Golden 

 Eagle in commencing the duties of rearing a family, and 

 the eggs are not often laid before the advent of May. 

 They are two or three in number, though on one occasion 

 as many as seven were found in a single eyrie, and are 

 marked most handsomely with rich red-brown spots and 

 blotches. They are perhaps the most beautiful of any 

 eggs laid by a British bird, and, indeed, it may have been 

 partly owing to this that collectors were induced to offer 

 such large reward for their acquisition. In size they 

 naturally vary somewhat, but a normal measurement is, 

 according to Dresser, 2i§ by If i inches. 



The Osprey is a fairly close sitter, and shows a con- 

 siderable amount of courage where the defence of her eggs 

 or young is concerned. It is on record that the angry 

 parent swooped at a boy who was climbing a tree with 

 the intention of taking the eggs, and fixed her talons in 

 his cap, carrying it off triumphantly. The boy was so 



