ACCIPITRES. ( 27 ) FALCONIDAL. 



THE OSPREY. 



FISH HAWK, FISHING EAGLE, BALD BUZZARD. 



Pandion haliceetus. 



The sailing Osprey high is seen to soar, 



With broad unmoving wing, ancf circling slow, 

 Marks each loose straggler in the deep below ; 



Sweeps down like lightning, plunges with a roar, 



And bears his struggling victim to the shore. 



ALEXANDER WILSON. 



THIS interesting bird occasionally visits the sea-coast and 

 rivers of Berwickshire during the time of its migration north- 

 wards in spring, and southwards in autumn. 



Sir Walter Elliot says that it seems to appear periodi- 

 cally on the Tweed, and, quoting from Sir William Jardine, 

 relates that two Ospreys were killed on Lord Home's pro- 

 perty in 1835. 1 According to the Berwick Advertiser of the 

 30th of May 1831, one was obtained on the Blackadder in 

 that year. 2 A specimen was shot many years ago in autumn 

 on the Whitadder, near Ninewells Old Bridge, by Mr. John 

 Blackadder, East Blanerne, who states that he stalked it 

 while it was perched on a tree by the side of the river, 

 which was in heavy flood at the time. 3 Mr. Peter Hastie, 

 Milne Graden East Mains, has informed me that one day in 

 September 1864 he saw two birds of this species sitting on 

 the rocks opposite Cockburn Mill, his attention having been 

 called to them by the loud quacking of the Ducks which 



1 Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vol. vi. p. 320. 



2 Dr. Johnston's MS. Notes. 



3 Information from Mr. John Blackadder on the 5th of August 1886. 



