AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 9 



high in air over the deer-park, pursued by a cloud of 

 Rooks and Hirundines. We had a good view of 

 him on the following day near Aldwincle, and saw 

 him make two unsuccessful stoops into a broad reach 

 of the river. On this occasion some Wood-Pigeons 

 disturbed from a wheat-stubble appeared to take 

 some interest in the proceedings, and mobbed the 

 Fish-Hawk in a sort of half-hearted fashion for a few 

 minutes. This bird was last seen in the neighbour- 

 hood of Lilford on August 29 (of. 'Zoologist,' 1883). 

 On August 5, 1887, I saw a large raptorial bird 

 soaring at a great height over the meadows near 

 Lilford. I had no glasses, but have very little 

 hesitation in pronouncing this bird to have been an 

 Osprey. 



The Osprey was formerly a common summer visitor 

 to the lakes of Scotland, where it still occasionally 

 breeds, and where I have several times met with it. 

 I believe this bird to be exclusively piscivorous, and, 

 though I have never kept a living specimen, am 

 informed that it will not thrive in captivity even 

 when plentifully supplied with its natural food. I 

 know few more interesting sights than that of an 

 Osprey fishing ; the bird circles over the water at a 

 moderate height till it spies a fish which suits its 

 views, when it poises itself for a second or two, and 

 falls like a stone upon its prey, which is carried off to 

 some favourite rock or bough and devoured. Almost 

 all the occurrences of the Osprey recorded of late 

 years in England have been either in the spring or 

 autumn, probably of birds on their way to or from 

 the breeding-localities in the north. 



