American Osprey. 269 



consists of three eggs, rarely of four eggs, and sometimes 

 there are only two eggs in the set. The ground-color 

 of the eggs varies from brownish-yellow to creamy-white, 

 and they are irregularly spotted and blotched with red- 

 dish-brown and umber. Most of the eggs have the mark- 

 ings so thickly crowded at the larger end that the ground- 

 color is entirely obscured, and there is great diversity 

 of marking in the eggs of any set as well as in a large 

 series of specimens. The eggs average 2.40 inches in 

 length by 1.75 in width. 



The kind disposition and good nature of the ospreys 

 are manifested by the fact that they allow the grackles 

 and other smaller birds to nest in the cavities of their 

 homes. Davie tells of a nest from which a collector took 

 a set of these eggs, and in a cavity between the sticks he 

 found a nest of the purple grackle containing five eggs, 

 while in a lower portion was a hollow branch containing 

 a set of seven eggs of the tree swallow. Frequently, when 

 several pairs of ospreys live as neighbors, they first unite 

 their forces and drive the bald eagle from the vicinity, 

 if one is lingering in the locality to take advantage of the 

 industry and perseverance of the fish hawks. If they are 

 successful in driving away their common enemy, they are 

 free to enjoy the fruits of their own labors. Where the 

 ospreys are not so abundant, they live in solitary pairs, 

 commonly selecting the most inaccessible site in the 

 locality, one which will give them a commanding view of the 

 subjacent region. There they will dwell for many seasons, 

 if they are not persecuted. The young are very slow to 

 leave the nest, and they depend on the parent birds for 

 support long after they have learned to fly. It is not 

 uncommon to see the parents feeding the young birds 

 while the latter are sailing about on wings which they 

 have learned to use with almost the freedom of their 

 elders. 



Among the rapacious birds it is usual for the female to 

 exceed the male in size, but the male ot the osprey is 

 somewhat larger than the female. He is a most attentive 

 provider for his mate while she is brooding her eggs, and 

 his regular excursions to the water and his return with 

 the prey are ordinary occurrences to residents of the 



