THE OSPREY 131 



scrutinising the surface. Whenever a fish was sighted the bird would 

 almost close its wings and descend with a resounding splash, for the 

 moment quite disappearing, to emerge a second later with its victim 

 in its claws. But their behaviour after the capture was somewhat 

 extraordinary, since instead of hurrying back to its young with the 

 prize, the captor would sail round for hours in an aimless sort of way 

 with the fish grasped firmly by both feet round the middle, the head 

 dangling downwards and carried, be it noticed, foremost, as offering 

 least resistance to the air ; and both these authors, it is to be remarked, 

 agree on this point. Small fish would be carried in one foot, and 

 sometimes it would be changed from one foot to the other during 

 flight. The indifference displayed by the parents on effecting a 

 capture seems to have been infectious, for the young evinced no 

 desire to eat when food was eventually brought to them. Dr. Bahr 

 never once saw a bird offer to feed its young during his week's sojourn 

 in the colony : " Hour after hour they would stand on the edge of 

 the nest with their prey in their talons, contemplating their perspiring 

 offspring or gazing lazily out to sea, every now and then raising their 

 crest and giving vent to a shriek as a neighbour passed." Mr. Abbott 

 was more fortunate. He saw both male and female feeding the 

 young. The prey was held down by the feet, and pieces of flesh were 

 then torn off and given the young. But they displayed no interest in 

 the prospective meal, and in many cases full-fledged young would sit, 

 with ruffled plumage and drooping heads, as if overcome with the 

 heat. That these birds suffered from this cause seems evident from the 

 fact that one or other of the parents standing at the nest during the 

 heat of the day would flap lazily out to sea, dangle the legs and tail, 

 and sometimes the tips of the wings, in the water, and returning, 

 would then spread the cool and grateful shade over the nestlings. 



But lethargic as these youngsters seemed to be, when approached 

 they became transformed into " regular spitfires," with every feather 

 on end, wings and tail raised, and head lowered. But this was only 

 bluff, for when lifted out of the nest they offered no resistance. 



