24 THE HOME-LIFE OF 
capture, for a large percentage of the fish seen carried by 
Ospreys or brought to the nests are headless. Mr. E. H. 
Baynes, of Meriden, New York, who kept two young 
Ospreys in a state of semi-domesticity, writes thus of their 
manner of eating* : “‘ They often began by picking out the 
eyes, perhaps because those organs were conspicuous and 
easily removed. ‘They held their food in their claws, and 
usually before seizing any part of it, they would “finger ”’ it, 
so to speak, with their bills, as though feeling for a good 
hold. ‘They would tear off large pieces, jerk them back- 
wards into the throat and swallow them. ‘They ate every 
part of a fish except the harder bones. ‘Tough pieces were 
removed by a steady upward pull, and the ends of bones 
were twisted off with a pivotal movement such as a man 
would use to draw a nail with a pair of pincers. Later, 
they ejected the bones and other indigestible particles 
in the form of pellets.” 
The first Ospreys’ eggs are laid on Gardiner’s Island, 
according to Hiram Miller, in the beginning of May. At 
the time of my visits the nests have practically all contained 
young, although I have seen unhatched eggs as late as July 
sth—probably a second laying, due to some misfortune 
earlier in the season. ‘They are about the size of hen’s 
eggs, and extremely handsomely marked with all shades of 
reddish-brown and claret upon a creamy ground. The 
usual number of eggs is three, occasionally only two, and 
seldom four. If the eggs are well incubated, or if the young 
have hatched when a mishap occurs, the bird will not lay 
again. But she does not always relinquish her affection for 
the nest: although it be empty, she will sometimes stand 
on its margin for weeks, and occasionally decorate its bed 
with fresh weeds. It is quite surprising to see a bird rise 
from her nest with cries of apprehension on one’s 
approach, and then to find that the nest is empty. It 
is a distinctly touching evidence of the maternal instinct 
in birds. 
*  Scribner’s Magazine, XLI., 1907, p. 701. 
