A BIRDLOVER'S YEAR 



birds of prey ; " that is to say the various 

 owls are excluded, though it may be noticed 

 that one not infrequently meets with the 

 Short-eared Owl (Asio accipitrinus) during 

 the hours of day-light. 



The Osprey (Pandion halicetus) is one of 

 those birds which must now be placed, alas, 

 on the list of vanishing species, as far as 

 breeding in the British Isles is concerned. 

 Formerly these birds were plentiful in Scot- 

 land ; now there are only one or two pairs 

 to be found. 



The osprey has an immense range, being 

 found in Europe, Africa, parts of Asia, 

 Japan, Formosa, Australia, New Guinea, and 

 America. According to some naturalists, it 

 is structurally classed in an order con- 

 necting the owls with the diurnal birds of 

 prey. 



The osprey varies from about twenty-two 

 to twenty-four inches in length, and feeds 

 almost exclusively on fish, which it captures, 

 in salt and fresh waters, by plunging from 

 aloft, and then bearing away its prey in its 

 talons. 



Turning to the true falcons, it will be seen 

 that a difference exists between them and 

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