24 FALCONID.E. 



am indebted to the kindness of the Earl of Malmesbury, 

 and the figure of the bird here given is represented with a 

 grey mullet under his foot. The Rev. Gilbert White, in 

 his Natural History of Selborne, has also mentioned one 

 that was killed at Frinsham Pond, — a large piece of water 

 about six miles from Selborne. This bird was shot while 

 sitting on the handle of a plough devouring a fish it had 

 caught. Montagu considered that the Osprey was frequent 

 in Devonshire. Dr. Edward Moore, in his Birds of Devon- 

 shire, mentions five or six recent instances of its occurrence ; 

 and Mr. Couch sends me word that this species is believed 

 to breed every year on the rocks about the Lizard. Of the 

 more inland counties, specimens have been killed in Hert- 

 fordshire, Oxfordshire, and Shropshire. In Ireland, the Os- 

 prey has been seen by several naturalists about the Lake of 

 Killarney. 



It has been already observed that the Osprey is common 

 in North America, where it has an extensive range. Pen- 

 nant, in his Arctic Zoology, says that it is found in Siberia 

 and Kampschatka. In high northern latitudes it is migra- 

 tory, retiring before the appearance of frost. It inhabits 

 Scandinavia and Russia. In Europe, south of Russia, 

 it is found in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and the 

 southern provinces : it is found also in Tripoli and Egypt. 

 M. Temminck, in the third part of his Manual, says 

 that specimens of the Osprey from the Cape of Good 

 Hope, and others from Japan, are similar to those killed in 

 Europe ; and Sir William Jardinc possesses one from New 

 Holland which is in no way different. The geographical 

 range of this species is therefore most extensive. 



The Osprey measures about twenty-two inches in length. 

 The beak is black, the cere blue, the irides yellow ; the top 

 of the head and nape of the neck whitish, streaked with dark 



