28 OSPREY. 
many as four, are described by several writers, apparently 
following Willughby, to be of an elliptical form. They are 
laid in May, and are about the size of those of a hen, and are 
generally similar to each other in colour, but occasionally vary 
considerably in size and shape: the ground colour is white, or 
dingy yellowish, or brownish white, much mottled over, par- 
ticularly at the base, in an irregular manner, with yellowish 
brown or rust-colour, with some specks of light brownish grey. 
The larger spots are sometimes of a very fine rich red brown. 
Weight of the male, between four and five pounds; length, 
about one foot ten or ‘eleven inches; bill, black, bluish black, 
or brownish black, probably according to age, and blue or 
horn-colour at the base; cere, light greyish blue; iris, yellow. 
‘The rudiment of a crest is formed by the feathers of the nape, 
which are lanceolate; head, white in the fully adult bird; 
until then, the feathers are brown, margined with white; 
crown, whitish or yellowish white, streaked with dark brown 
longitudinal marks; neck, white, with a brown mark from the 
bill down each side. The nape, whitish, streaked with dark 
brown; chin, white, with sometimes a few dusky streaks; 
throat, white or brownish white, streaked with dark or dusky 
brown; breast, generally white, mottled about the upper part 
with a few rather hght brown feathers, forming an irregular 
band, and also more or less sprinkled with yellowish or brown 
markings—the margins of the feathers being paler than the 
rest. Selby says that the brown admixture is indicative of a 
young bird, the adults generally, if not always, having that 
part of an immaculate white, and there can I think be no 
doubt but that itis so. The whole plumage, especially on the 
under side, is close set, as is the case with water birds, their 
frequent submersions requiring such a defence. 
The back, dark brown—in some individuals the feathers being 
margined with a paler shade; wings, long, and of wide ex- 
panse, measuring five feet three or four inches across. When 
closed, they extend a little beyond the end of the tail—not 
quite two inches; the first three quills are deeply notched on 
the inner side near the end; primaries, dark brown, black, or 
nearly black at the ends. The tertiaries assume the form of 
quills; larger and lesser under wing coverts, white, barred 
with umber brown; tail, short and square, waved with a 
darker and a lighter shade of brown above, and beneath barred 
with greyish brown on a white ground—the two middle feathers 
darker than the others. The legs reticulated, and pale blue. 
