44 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



LETTER IV. 



" I think he'll be to Rome 



As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it 

 By sovereignty of nature." 



COBIOLANUS. 



The Osprey miscalled Sea Eagle An Outlaw Hue and 

 Cry Unholy Alliance Occurrence of the Osprey 

 in Sussex The Mullet Hawk Rival Fishers The 

 Osprey at Pagham Anecdote The Biter bit. 



WHILE the term " golden " is often applied 

 erroneously to the cinereous or sea eagle, the os- 

 prey or fishing-hawk (Pandion hali&etus) is as 

 frequently honoured with the title of the latter 

 bird, at least in this part of England, where, 

 although far from abundant, it is of much more 

 frequent occurrence than its gigantic namesake.* 



The old oak trees in the neighbourhood of some 

 of the well-stocked ponds in the district of the 



* Markwick does not allude to the osprey, either by that 

 name or under any synonyme, in his ' Catalogue of Sussex 

 Birds.' 



