BrxTTL^H BIEDS' NESTS. 175 



ORIOLE, GOLDEN. 



This bird, altliougli a somewliat rare and 

 accidental visitor to our slioves, lias, according to 

 some authorities, bred in several parts of England. 

 There are, however, sceptics who doubt this, and 

 adduce, as a reason, that there is not a collector 

 who can boast the possession of a British-laid 

 specimen. Be this as it may, it is doubtful whether 

 the bird will ever succeed in breeding in this country, 

 on account of the eagerness with which the collector 

 seeks after the skin of the male, whose attractive 

 colours excite his cupidity. 



OSPREY. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length about 

 twenty-two inches. Beak short, much curved, and 

 black ; naked skin round base of beak blue. Irides 

 yellow. Crown and nape whitish, streaked with 

 dark brown, the feathers somewhat elongated into 

 a kind of crest. Back and wings dark brown, 

 sometimes glossed with purple, ends of the latter 

 black. Tail waved with two shades of brown ; 

 chin and throat white, shaded with light brown 

 across the breast ; belly, sides, thighs, and under 

 tail-coverts white. Legs and toes blue, claws long, 

 strong, much curved, and black. 



The female is slightly larger, and has her head 

 and breast more marked with brown, according to 

 Mr. Seebohm. 



Hituation and Locality. — Near the top of a 

 high tree, the summit of an inland crag, or on the 

 highest point of some ruin upon an island or com- 

 manding promontory amongst the lonely lochs of 



