OSPREY. 27 



" The versatility of the outer toe of the Osprey, the 

 strength, curvature, and sharpness of its claws, and the 

 roughness of the soles of its feet, are peculiarities of struc- 

 ture adapted to the hetter securing its slippery prey ; and 

 the shortness of its thigh-feathers, unusual in the Falcon 

 tribe, is also evidently connected with its fishing habits." 

 A specimen at the Gardens of the Zoological Society of 

 London, when a fish was given to it was observed to seize 

 it across the body, placing the inner and outer toes at 

 right angles with the middle and hind toes, and digging 

 in the claws, held the fish most firmly by four opposite 

 points ; not relaxing its hold or altering the position of 

 the toes, but picking out the portions of flesh from between 

 them with great ease and dexterity. 



From the docility observable in the Osprey, Montagu 

 thought that it might formerly have been trained for hawk- 

 ing of fish, as by an Act passed in the reign of William 

 and Mary, persons were prohibited at a certain period of 

 the year, from taking any salmon, salmon-peal, or salmon 

 kind, by Hawks, racks, guns, &c. 



The Osprey makes a large nest, sometimes on high trees, 

 at others on rocks, or about old ruins near large pieces of 

 water, and lays two or three eggs, which are generally 

 hatched in June. The eggs are about two inches and four 

 lines long by one inch ten lines in breadth, blotched and 

 spotted over the larger end with reddish brown on a white 

 ground. In some specimens the secondary colour is of a 

 paler yellowish red. During the period of incubation, the 

 male watches near, and supplies the wants of the female ; 

 catches fish for her, and brings the food to the nest : she 

 therefore seldom quits the eggs, and then only for a very 

 short interval. The parent birds feed the young till they 

 are in the full possession of powers to provide for them- 



