THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG BIRDS 245 



of two young American ospreys, which Mr. E. H. 

 Baynes took from the nest at an early age. Having 

 secured them, he placed them in an artificial nest 

 which he had made for them. The parents did not suc- 

 ceed in finding them out, the young birds had therefore 

 to face the struggle for existence without a mentor. 

 ** For several days," writes Mr. Baynes, " they spent 

 most of their time lying still, with necks extended and 

 heads prone on the floor of the nest." At this stage they 

 were, of course, unable to fly. It was not until they 

 were five or six weeks old that the young ospreys 

 entrusted themselves to their wings, and at the first 

 attempt they, or rather one of them, performed an 

 unbroken flight of several miles ! After they had 

 learned to use their wings, the ospreys were allowed 

 full liberty, nevertheless they continued to remain in 

 the neighbourhood of Mr. Baynes's house, and became 

 quite domesticated. When taken away, they returned 

 like homing pigeons. Even as they had made the 

 discovery that they could fly, so did they, one day, 

 find out that they could catch fish. Mr. Baynes thus 

 describes the earliest attempt of one of the young 

 birds : " His tactics were similar to those employed 

 by old and experienced ospreys, but the execution was 

 clumsy. After sailing over the pond for a few minutes, 

 he evidently caught sight of a fish, for he paused, 

 flapped his wings to steady himself, and then dropped 

 into the water. But it was the attempt of a tyro, 

 and of course the fish escaped. The hawk disappeared, 

 and when he came to the surface he struggled vainly 

 to rise from the water. Then he seemed to give it up." 



