OSPREY. 119 



quadrupeds. They disdain petty plunder, and are said 

 only to pursue animals that are worthy of conquest. 

 Carrion they invariably refuse; however hungry, they 

 never satiate themselves on putrid bodies, but leave these 

 to others, less able to pursue, and less difficult to please 

 than themselves. 



The Golden Eagle is a native of Asia, Europe, and 

 even of some of the most mountainous districts, both of 

 Great Britain and Ireland. It is about forty inches in 

 length. The bill is blue, and the cere yellow. The legs 

 are of a dirty yellow colour, and feathered to the toes. 

 The plumage is a mixed brown and rust colour. The 

 tail is clouded with ash colour at the base. 



A 



Sea Eagle. This species is often mistaken for the 

 golden eagle. It forms its nest among rocks, generally 

 in the neighbourhood of the sea ; and subsists principally 

 on fish, which it takes as they swim near the surface, by 

 darting upon and seizing them in its talons. These birds 

 are found on the sea-coasts of various parts of Europe, 

 Asia, and America. 



The bill is bluish ; the cere and legs are yellow. The 

 general colour of the upper parts of the body is a rusty 

 brown, variegated with deep brown, inclining to black. 

 The scapulars are pale brown, each feather edged with 

 white. The interior sides and tips of the tail-feathers are 

 of a deep brown ; the exterior sides of some of them are 

 ferruginous, and of others marked with white. 



Osprey, or Fishing Eagle. The Osprey usually re- 

 sides in the neighbourhood of the sea, and also of rivers 

 and lakes which are well supplied with fish. It feeds 

 on fish, on water-fowl, and even on land birds; and, 



