THE OSPREYS. II5 



sometimes on the topmost branches, flattened by its weight, 

 more rarely at a distance of ten or twelve feet from the ground 

 on one of the broad-spreading limbs. But, when the Osprey's 

 nest is on ruins, it is often at a far less elevation, and when 

 built on rocky islands, it is not unfrequently but a few feet 

 from the ground, built amongst the grey lichens and tufts of 

 polypody fern. On the southern shores of the Baltic, north of 

 Stettin, surrounding the inland lakes which form the delta of 

 the Oder, are vast forests which form a perfect paradise for the 

 Osprey. Lonely forests within easy access of fresh-water lakes 

 are the favourite breeding-places of this bird. He generally 

 selects the loftiest tree in the forest, his main object being 

 apparently to be able to rise at once from the nest without 

 being incommoded by the branches of trees. Thus it often 

 happens that the nest is visible at the distance of a mile. The 

 structure is enormously large, and from three to four feet in 

 diameter, and occasionally as high. It is usually placed upon 

 the summit of a pine-tree, one having a dead top being pre- 

 ferred. At the outside it extends so far over the branches that 

 it is very often difficult to reach. The foundation is made of 

 branches intermixed with decaying vegetable matter and sods ; 

 the upper surface is flat, and consists of finer twigs covered 

 over with green and dry grass, the eggs being laid in a slight 

 hollow in the middle^ not more than a foot across, and scarcely 

 two inches deep." 



Eggs. — The eggs of the Os[jrey are among the most beautiful 

 of all of the Birds of Prey, and are very finely marked as a 

 rule. The ground-colour is white, which is sometimes entirely 

 hidden by the red or purple blotches which congregate at the 

 larger end of the egg. Those with large blotches of colour 

 are the commonest and at the same time the most handsome, 

 for occasionally the markings are much smaller, and take the 

 form of spots, streaks, and marblings, which are distributed 

 over the whole surface. Axis, 2-35-2*6 inches; diam., i-y-i-g. 



I 2 



