BIRDS or EGYPT. 203 



chest ; tarsus bare ; cere and legs yellow ; beak horn-blue ; 

 irides yellow. 



Entire length 28 inches ; culmen 2 ; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 20' 5 ; tarsus 3" 5. 



The description is taken from specimens shot by myself in 

 Egypt. 



Fig. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 24. 



192. Pandion HALiAETUs (Linn.). Osprcy. 



The Osprey is plentiful throughout Egypt and Nubia 

 during the winter. In the Fayoom I found it extremely 

 abundant, and not so shy as along the banks of the Nile. 

 In the former locality I have often watched it hover for a 

 moment over the water ; then descending on its prey with 

 a splash, seldom without success, it would rise and, shaking 

 the water from its feathers, fly slowly off to some suitable 

 position to devour its captive. 



Feathers on the back of the head rather long ; top and 

 back of the head white, mottled with dark brown ; remainder 

 of the upper plumage dark brown, with pale edges to the 

 feathers ; the inner web of the quills marked with white and 

 barred with brown ; tail-feathers, with the exception of the 

 two centre ones, pale brown, inclining to white, and with five 

 or six distinct brown bars ; under plumage white, more or 

 less mottled with brown on the crop, according to the age of 

 the specimen ; cere and legs slaty grey ; beak horn-blue ; irides 

 brown. 



Entire length 21 inches; culmen i"8; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 19 ; tarsus 2"3. 



