500 ORNITHOLOGICAL SKETCHES 



saw this eagle in the interior; but 1 once observed it flying 

 up and down over the sea at the rock of Gibraltar, where, as 

 I was informed by the English officers, it breeds every year, 

 not far from the well-known nest of Bonelli's Eagle. 



According to my experiences few birds of prey are less shy 

 when breeding than the Osprey, for it sits hard and readily 

 allows one to come close under the nest. It also feeds its 

 young with regularity and pretty often, so that it can easily 

 be killed from an ambush. One of my friends twice drove an 

 Osprey from its nest within half an hour, missing it both 

 times, but breaking one of its primaries on the second occa- 

 sion. Not more than ten minutes afterwards I stole up to the 

 nest and found the bird again setting on its eggs, nor would 

 it leave its dwelling until the tree had been repeatedly struck; 

 but this time its fate was sealed. There was another Osprey 's 

 eyrie situated among the nests of the Black Storks ; to it I 

 drove in a noisy Hungarian cart, pulled up under the nest, 

 and while still sitting in the vehicle shot the eagle, which was 

 circling round low down. 



The shooting of this bird, however, except in the breeding- 

 season, is a very uncertain affair, for it never stoops to the 

 Eagle-Owl, but only occasionally settles on a neighbouring 

 tree or flies over the place at a considerable height ; while it 

 often passes by without deigning to glance at the owl. It 

 is also useless to attempt to shoot it from a decoy, as it 

 never touches carrion; so the method generally employed by 

 sportsmen is simply to lie in wait for it, for, as already 

 mentioned, these eagles fly up and down the rivers fishing, 

 and keep to certain hours with great punctuality. One may, 

 therefore, get a close easy shot from a good hiding-place. 

 In conclusion, I subjoin the measurements of two Osprey s 

 shot by myself. 



