II. OSPEEY. 



(Pandion haliaetus.') 



HAVING heard that there was an Osprey's nest, with young in it, 

 at Rothiemurchus, on the ruined castle on Loch an Eilein, we took 

 a long journey to see it. Arriving there, on the second day, we 

 sat down by the loch side to observe the birds, and sketch them 

 and their nest and its surroundings. The young birds were 

 still in the nest, well grown and fledged, but with some of the 

 down still on them. After a while the parent birds arrived, 

 bringing fish for their young. I was very much struck with 

 the marvellously scientific way in which they carried the fish 

 (tolerably large ones, apparently of the salmon tribe). They 

 held them fore and aft, with one foot before the other, in such a 

 manner as would least impede their flight ; the head of the fish 

 foremost as they flew against the wind. I had read many 

 descriptions of the Osprey in books of natural history, how they 

 plunged in the water to catch their prey, and how well adapted 

 their rough -soled feet were for holding them with the claws 

 two on each side, but I never found any mention of this most 

 interesting fact. 



Their method of holding the fish with one foot in advance of 

 the other, and the hind foot being placed near the tail, is effectual 

 also in preventing the fish when alive from lashing with its tail 

 and disturbing its equilibrium. 



We spent the afternoon at the loch side, and saw the old 

 birds bring fish several times, always holding them in the same 

 manner, and flying up-wind to the nest. The fish seemed to 

 be still alive, as the back fin was raised and the lateral ones 

 extended. The birds seemed to come from a distance. I was 



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