274 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



low. This structure contained an undeveloped egg, and 

 three young birds which were prepared to ilv. As soon 

 as the nest was approached, they scrambled out. and pre- 

 cipitated the egg down the cliff, although without injuring 

 it. There were within it, several large rats indigenous to 

 the region, which had been deposited by the parents. 



The eggs are evidently not laid on consecutive days, nor 

 all deposited before the incubating process commences. 

 tor the same nest-complement frequently exhibits eggs 

 in different stages of incubation. They are generally de- 

 posited from the zyth of May to about the 25th of June. 

 The parents certainly are strongly attached to their -treas- 

 ures, as they evince considerable uneasiness when the nest 

 is approached, as evidenced by their loud cries of distress. 

 On one occasion, an Indian collector of Mr. Macfarlane's 

 discovered a nest on a ledge of shaly mud, and being unable 

 to shoot the parents, set a snare for them. On visiting 

 the nest, during the course of the day, he was disappointed 

 to find the snare placed to one side, and the eggs and birds 

 nowhere to be seen. The presumption was that the three 

 eggs had been removed to a safer locality. Before closing 

 this paragraph, it cannot be amiss to state that the somewhat 

 irregular periods of oviposition closely relate these birds to 

 the Owls in their habits. 



The eggs are three or four in number, nearly spherical. 

 and measure 2.35 inches in length, and 1.75 in width. In 

 ground-color, they are dull whitish, which sometimes gives 

 place to drab, or creamy. The markings vary considerably. 

 Some specimens are scarcely or not at all marked, while 

 others are blotched with large brown spots, which are va- 

 riously mingled with others of a purplish-slate color. 



Pandion haliaetus, (LINN.) Cur. 



The Fish Hawk or Osprev is found from the fur region 

 surrounding Hudson's Bay to Central America; and from 

 Labrador to Florida on the Atlantic coast, excepting Boston 



