92 



THE OSPREY. 



THE OSPREY OR FISH HAWK: ITS CHARACTERISTICS AND HABITS.— V. 



By Theodore Gill, Washington, I). C. 



Con Untied from Vol. V, p. 76. 



A pair of Ospreys that built 011 a pole nest in 

 Bristol, R. I., raised in 1895 "a brood of seven 

 young. On the 11th of June, two of the nest- 

 ling's, about the size of squabs, were picked up 

 dead under the nest, and on the 26th of the same 

 month another young bird was also found dead 

 at the foot of the pole. In the latter part of 

 July the nest contained four almost fully fledged 

 young."* Mr. Howe thought that "the seven 

 eggs must have been laid in seven or eight 

 days," but gave no reason for so thinking. It 

 may be suggested as at least possible that a 

 former tenant of the nest may have been killed 

 after having' laid her full quota of eggs, and her 

 surviving mate obtained a new partner just pre- 

 pared to add to that quota. The conditions in 

 any case must have been very unusual. 



Four eggs have been frequently found in a 

 nest. Mr. M. B. Griffing "from one nest on 

 Gardiner's Island '"' * * look sets of four 

 eggs in two consecutive seasons; and in other 

 nests" saw four eggs one season and three the 

 next. "I 



INXUBATION. 



Whether the male assists in incubation is a 

 matter concerning which different statements 

 have been made. 



Audubon believed that "the male assists in 

 incubation, during the continuance of which 

 the one bird supplies the other with food, 

 although each in turn goes in quest for itself " 

 Audubon is the only original authority for the 

 allegation. 



JIo~t authors and the latest Bendire espe- 

 cially — tacitly or specifically assert that the 

 female alone sits upon the eggs. 



The sitting bird is supplied by its mate with 

 requisite food, "though she occasionally takes a 

 short circuit to sea herself, but quickly returns 

 again. The attention of the male on such occa- 

 sions is regulated by the circumstances of the 

 case" A pair of these birds, on the south side 

 of Great Egg Harbor river. |N. J.,| and near its 

 mouth, was noted for several years" and com- 

 memorated by Wilson. "The female, having but 

 '■in' leg. wa- regularly furnished, while sitting. 

 witli tish in such a lunula nee. that she seldom left 

 the nest, and never to seek for fond. Thiskind- 

 11 ess was continued both before and after incu- 

 bation." 



The attention of the Osprey to its nest has 

 been variously described. One ornithologist, 

 indeed, has contradicted himself on adjoining 

 pages of the same work (Seebohm i. 00. 61), in 

 one paragraph stating that "the 1 teprey is a shy 

 bird at the nest, and usually leaves it at once on 

 the approach of a stranger" and. on another, 



that. "like many other birds of prey, the female 

 Osprey is not easily scared from the nest." 



The truth seems to be that as a rule, (perhaps 

 with frequent exceptions,) the bird flies off from 

 its eggs on the approach of a man and makes 

 no demonstration: but when its young have 

 been hatched out, it is less disposed to yield and 

 will frequently not hesitate to threaten or even 

 attack the intruder. 



But even the eggs may be boldly protected. 

 Wilson was informed by a correspondent of a 

 man who was impelled by curiosity to go up a 

 tree to "look at the eggs" in a nest, that "the bird 

 clawed his face in a shocking manner; his eye 

 had a narrow escape." This correspondent was 

 nevertheless told that "it had never been con- 

 sidered dangerous to approach a Hawk's nest}." 



According to Professor Bttmpus (A. N., iv, 585) 

 "as one approaches their nest the bird stands 

 up. whistling a shrill pee)): on coming nearer it 

 rises and after a circle or two sometimes re- 

 alights, inspects its eggs, and if the intruder 

 does not withdraw, the cries of distress bring" 

 the male, after which both birds circle over the 

 nest, the male higher and showing less anxiety 

 than the female." 



They do not always confine their demonstra- 

 tion to cries and threats. Occasion all y — per- 

 haps often they will boldly attack the would- 

 be thief of their eggs or young. 



Wilson also testified to its boldness when it has 

 nestlings to take care of. "On the appearance 

 of the young, which is usually about the last of 

 June, the zeal and watchfulness of the parents 

 are extreme. They stand guard, and go off to 

 fish, alternately; one parent being always within 

 a short distance of the nest. On the near ap- 

 proach of any person, the Hawk utters a plain- 

 tive whistling note, which becomes shriller as 

 she takes to wing and sails around, sometimes 

 making a rapid descent, as if aiming directly, 

 for you; but checking her course, and sweeping' 

 past at a short distance over head, her wings 

 making a loud whizzing in the air". "Incuba- 

 tion is said lo last about twenty-one days." but 

 Bendire was "inclined to believe that it is 

 nearer twenty-eight." He neglected to assign 

 any reason for his belief. 



NESTLINGS. 



The newly hatched young or nestling has a 

 close dense covering" of short down; the color of 

 this down is mostly sooty or even black, but 

 on the head and sides of neck is relieved by 

 grayish longish tufts (arranged in a linear mass 

 and covering the down ) and along the back from 

 nape to tail by a wide whitish stripe; tufts of a 

 grayish or whitish color also diversify the back; 



♦Howe. Auk, xii :t> '. 

 I-Grifflng in Bendire, L. H. N. A. B. i ::;i 

 ;it was nut stated whether the *• ^-~ wen- actually seru and 11 is possible thai they tuny have been batched. 



