324 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



the same date; in Maine about the latter part of May, and in Nova Scotia, as 

 well as in the interior of Alaska, not until June, nearly fresh eggs having 

 been taken by Mr. J. Lockhart, at Fort Yukon, on June 27. 



The food of the Osprey consists entirely of fish, which are caught as already 

 described, and these are usually the inferior species, such as are seldom used for 

 the table. In Florida they live almost entirely on catfish, and on the interior 

 lakes and streams of the Pacific coast subsist to a great extent on suckers, and 

 frequently on some of the smaller species of salmon and whitefish (Coregontts). 



But a single brood is raised in a season. Incubation, is said to last about 

 twenty-one days, but I am inclined to believe that it is nearer twenty-eight. 

 The usual number of eggs is three, occasionally only two, and seldom four; 

 they are among the handsomest of those laid by the Raptores, and subject 

 to an endless variation in color, markings, and size. They are deposited at 

 intervals of one or two days and the shell is strong and minutely granulated. 



The eggs of the Osprey vary greatly in shape, ranging from an ovate to 

 either a short, rounded, elliptical, or elongate ovate. The ground color is usu- 

 ally a creamy white, and this is sometimes so evenly and regularly overlaid 

 with pigment as to give it a buffy or vinaceous appearance. Now and then 

 a specimen is found showing a uniform cinnamon rufous or ferruginous color 

 throughout, without any indications of blotches, thus strongly resembling cer- 

 tain types of eggs of the Falcons. The markings show an equally wide range 

 of variation, both in amount and size. The majority of eggs are heavily 

 blotched and spotted, but generally more thickly about the larger end, and 

 these markings include nearly all the different shades of brown and vinaceous 

 red. In some eggs lavender and pearl gray shell markings predominate, but 

 in the majority of specimens before me these are either few or entirely absent; 

 the beautiful vinaceous red tints found in some of the eggs of this species when 

 fresh become darker with age. 



The average measurement of sixty-nine specimens in the U. S. National 

 Museum collection is 62 by 46 millimetres, the largest egg, from Cape St. 

 Lucas, Lower California, measuring 68.5 by 49.5, the smallest, taken on 

 Seven-Mile Beach, Cape "May County, New Jersey, 59.5 by 42 millimetres. 



Of the type specimens selected to show some of the many styles of color- 

 ation and markings, No. 20709 (PI. 10, Fig. 17), from a set of three eggs, Ben- 

 dire collection, was taken by Mr. A. R. Justice, near Cape May, New Jersey, 

 June 1, 1875. No. 23965 (PI. 11, Fig. 5), from a set of four eggs; No. 23967 

 (PI. 11, Fig. 6), from a set of two, and No. 23969 (PI. 11, Figs. 7 and 8), 

 two specimens from a set of two, were collected on Shelter Island, New York, 

 May 7, 1890, by Mr. Moses B. Grriffing (and especially selected from a large 

 number for the purpose of illustration); No. 23974 (PI. 11, Fig. 9), from a set 

 of two, was taken by Mr. Charles S. Shick, on Seven Mile Beach, Cape May, 

 New Jersey, May 21, 1890. The other egg of this set is of nearly a uniform 

 reddish brown color throughout, and resembles one of the types of Poly1>oru8 

 cheriway (Fig. 3, PI. 11), very much, but cannot be figured from want of space. 

 A normal colored set of three eggs had been previously taken from this nest. 



