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which, where there is any difference from the adult, 

 are generally more marked; or from their having 

 been shot immediately after the autumnal moult, 

 before the edges of the feathers had been worn 

 down, which, as I shall hereafter have occasion to 

 notice, makes a material difference in the appearance 

 of many of our birds killed at that time. 



The food of the Osprey seems to consist almost 

 entirely of fish : these it catches if they are near 

 the surface by just dipping its feet in the water 

 far enough to reach them, and at other times 

 plunging entirely under the surface with force 

 sufficient to throw up a considerable spray. But 

 it emerges again so quickly from the water that it 

 is evident it cannot attack fish swimming at any 

 great depth.* It appears even to have been trained 

 for taking fish. 



The nest is said to be an immense fabric of 

 rotten sticks, intermixed with corn-stalks, sea-weed 

 and wet turf: it is lined with dry sea-grass,t and is 

 generally placed in some old ruin Yarrell says, if 

 possible, on the top of a chimney: if ruins are not 

 to be found old trees are sometimes resorted to. 



Yarrell describes this bird as follows : " The 

 beak is black, the cere blue ; the hides yellow ; 

 the top of the head and nape of the neck whitish, 



* Yarrell's and Meyer's British Birds. 

 f Hewitson. 



B 3 



