32 FALCONIM. 



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 dexterity. 



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

 at others on rocky islets, or about old ruins in lakes. When 

 thus placed, it is usually in the form of a truncated cone ; the 

 sticks composing it project very little beyond the sides, and 

 are built up with turf and other compact materials ; the 

 summit is of moss, very flat and even, and the cavity occu- 

 pies a comparatively small part of it. The eggs, usually 

 three in number, are subject to great and beautiful variety in 

 colour. Generally they are irregularly and boldly blotched, 

 and spotted with rich reddish- brown, on a white or yellowish- 

 white ground, but in many examples a secondary tint of 

 violet or pale yellowish-red occurs, while occasionally the 

 specimen is almost entirely suffused with a bright orange-red 

 or purple. They vary in size also considerably, measuring 

 from 2 -68 to 2*17 by 1'94 to 1*64 inches, and one sent from 

 Sweden by the late Mr. Wheelwright measures only 1*68 by 

 1-22 inches. They are generally hatched at the end of May 

 or in June. During the period of incubation, the male 

 watches near, catches fish for the female, and brings the 

 food to the nest : she therefore seldom quits the eggs, and 

 then only for a very short interval. The parents feed the 

 young till they are fully able to provide for themselves, and 

 have been seen to supply them with fish long after they had 

 left the nest, and both were flying about on the wing together. 

 The old birds rear but one brood in the year. 



The Osprey does not winter in Great Britain, but at other 

 seasons has been obtained in almost every maritime county, 

 while it not unfrequently occurs as far inland as Oxfordshire 

 and Shropshire. On the east and south coast of England 

 not a year goes by but it is seen, and too often killed, on its 

 passage in spring or fall. Mr. Stevenson remarks, that 

 whereas not long ago in Norfolk it used to occur most 



