CHAP, x.] OSPREYS. 87 



times round the house and garden, she perched in a high tree and 

 would not come down. I was obliged to leave her at night, and 

 in the morning the hawk was nowhere to be found. For four 

 days I saw nothing of her ; but on going out early on the fifth 

 morning, I saw her wheeling about at a great height, with some 

 hooded crows giving battle to her. I stood out in an open place 

 and whistled. As soon as she heard me, after two or three rapid 

 sweeps round my head, she perched down on my arm, and imme- 

 diately began caressing me, and as plainly as possible expressing 

 her delight at having found me again ; whether hunger or affec- 

 tion induced her to return, I know not ; though I rather fear the 

 former, as, on my giving her a rabbit, she commenced devouring 

 it as if her fast had not been broken since she got away. In 

 feeding on birds, I observe that she invariably begins by plucking 

 them of almost all their feathers, however hungry she may be; 

 vid when I give her a rat or rabbit, she always pulls off most of 

 the hair before commencing her meal. The only animal that she 

 appears unwilling to eat is a mole, everything else is devoured 

 wr.hout hesitation, and, when hungry, no bird is too large for 

 her to attack. Black -backed gull or cormorant is instantly seized 

 and plucked ; and one day, a Skye terrier going too near her 

 chain, she instantly flew at it, and, had I not come to the rescue, 

 would probably have killed it, as, perching on the dog's back, the 

 hawk commenced immediately tearing at its head and eyes. The 

 male peregrine is considerably smaller than the female, and of a 

 much lighter colour ; their nest is built in some inaccessible 

 niche or shelf of a lofty cliff or rock, and both birds assist in the 

 Business of incubation. The quantity of game killed by a pair 

 of these birds to feed their young is immense ; and, from their 

 jreat courage and strength, no bird of the game kind in this 

 country has any chance with them. 



Occasionally an osprey comes sailing down the course of the 

 river, but does not breed anywhere in our immediate neighbour- 

 hood. This very beautiful bird drops like a stone on any unlucky 

 fish that its sharp eye may detect in the clear pools of the river, 

 and I believe she seldom pounces in vain. Having caught a 

 trout or small salmon, she flies with it to land, or to some rock, 

 and there tears it up. When the river is too high and black for 

 the fish to be attainable, no dead carcass comes amiss to her ; 



