CH. III. OLD NEST OF OSPREY. 37 



fattening on the oat and pea fields, the Gray lag 

 goose (Anser ferus) has already laid, and is nearly 

 hatching her eggs, in the wilds of Sutherland. In 

 one island, containing a few stunted birch-trees, we 

 saw an old osprey's nest, not now tenanted; but I am 

 told that the old birds were inhabiting it two years 

 ago. The nest was most interesting : it was placed 

 in a fork of the tree so low that we could see into 

 it without climbing, and it consisted of a perfect 

 cartload of sticks, varying from the size of a very 

 stout walking-stick down to the twigs of birch and 

 heather of which the inner part of the fabric was 

 composed. I did not measure the nest, but as 

 nearly as I could guess, it was not less than eight 

 feet in length and nearly four in width ; the depth, 

 too, was very great; the inner lining was com- 

 posed of a coarse kind of grass that grows in these 

 islands. Although the nest must have weathered 

 many a winter storm of wind, snow, and rain, and 

 was quite bleached, it was still fixed firmly in the 

 fork of the birch-tree. To have seen the ospreys 

 building up this great and strong mass would have 

 repaid one for a journey of many a long mile. 



"Wilson mentions that in America the osprey 

 builds constantly in trees, but in this country it 

 seldom does so, probably from the want of trees 

 suitable for the purpose. I have been told, how- 



