262 TEN YEARS IN SWEDEN. 



It seems that in Scandinavia there are two forms of this 

 eagle which some have fancied distinct species. The one, 

 the F. ossifraga, said to be peculiar to the far north, is 

 larger than the southerly form (F. albicilla), measuring 

 sometimes 8 ft. between the wings. It is., however, most 

 probable that the ossifraga is nothing more than the young 

 of the albidlla, for in the eagles, the young in general are 

 larger than the old ones of the same sex. The reason of 

 this is, that the bones in the older birds are thinner and 

 more drawn up than in the young, and it is a common 

 rule that the tail is shorter in the older birds. This eagle is, 

 I fancy, far more common in Scandinavia than the golden 

 eagle ; it is dispersed pretty generally but sparingly over the 

 whole country, and in the winter congregates much on the 

 southern coasts, so that in a small island off Engelholm I 

 have counted seventeen together. The nest is generally in 

 the neighbourhood of water ; eggs two (very rarely three) 

 laid in April, dirty white. About 3 in. long by 2 in. thick. 



Subgen. Pandion, Sav. Osprey. 



Beak much smaller than in the true eagles ; tail round 

 and compressed, shorter than the closed wings ; nostrils out- 

 wardly covered with a web ; toes underneath rough, for the 

 purpose of grasping ; the outer toe free, moveable ; tarsus 

 strong and short; second and third wing feathers 

 longest. 



13. PANDION HALIAETOS, Sav. Fisk Ljuse. The Osprey. 



D. F. 



Legs and cere always pale blue, never yellow, as in 

 the eagles ; all the upper parts of the body dark brown, 

 underneath white. Length about 2 ft.; tail shorter 

 than the wings, with dark bands across the outer 

 feathers ; iris yellow. 



Is tolerably common and pretty generally dispersed 

 throughout all Scandinavia, to far up within the polar 

 circle. Nest generally on an old pine, somewhere in the 

 neighbourhood of water. Eggs smaller and more oblong 



