28 THE HOME-LIFE OF 
enough even to swoop at me, and then with no more 
viciousness than a Tern, and not as close. Once, when the 
keeper was on the beach at Gardiner’s Island with a dog, 
an Osprey swooped many times at the dog, coming closer 
than it would dare to a human being. But as a rule the 
birds soon cease swooping, and indulge in vocal, rather 
than personal, protestations. 3 
I have often stood, pencil in hand, and tried to put upon 
paper the remarkable variety of screams to which nervous 
Ospreys give voice. The commonest note is a shrill 
whistle, with a rising inflection: ‘“‘ Whew, whew, whew, 
whew, whew, whew, whew.” ‘This is the sound usually 
heard during migration; and when the bird is only slightly 
alarmed. When she becomes thoroughly aroused, it will be: 
“ Chick, chick, chick, cheek, cheek, ch-cheek, ch-cheek, 
cheereek, chezeek, chezeek,’ gradually increasing to a 
frenzy of excitement at the last. Another cry sounds 
like: ‘‘ Tseep, tseep, tseep—whick, whick, whick-ick-ick- 
ck-ck,” dying away in a mere hiccough. And there are 
endless variations quite incapable of syllabification. In 
addition to these loud screeches when disturbed, the Osprey 
has other notes which are unexpectedly weak for so large a 
bird. As we lay in our shanty, the Osprey’s notes from 
without would sometimes recall more the peeping of a 
chick that has lost its mother, than the voice of a 
magnificent bird of prey! 
One cry that my friends and I have particularly observed 
on our visits to Gardiner’s Island, is often reserved for 
occasions when the bird is carrying fish. She will then 
sometimes be seen to pause in her flight, extend her legs 
downward to their fullest extent, hover on rapidly-flapping 
wings and call out—very appropriately—‘‘ Feesh, feesh, 
feesh, feesh.”” Upon recognizing this cry we were seldom 
disappointed in finding our bird—although sometimes she 
goes through the antics without a fish—just extending her 
legs. In such cases and others, where the legs are caused 
to drop during flight (which is not an uncommon occur- 
