THE OSPREY. 15 



in the fullest sense of the word, is u the sea eagle ;" the bird 

 known by that title is not maritime, excepting in the haunts 

 it frequents, being, more correctly speaking, a shore eagle, as 

 the golden eagle is the representative of the land. 



Almost similar to the gannet, in the osprey we observe the 

 same method of obtaining food : hovering at a considerable 

 height over the sea, with the head directed downwards, and 

 watchful of the slightest movement of his finny prey, which, 

 when being discerned, the wings are instantly closed, " and 

 he descends like a perpendicular torrent into the sea, with a 

 loud rushing sound, and with the certainty of a rifle ; in a few 

 moments he emerges, bearing in his claws his struggling prize, 

 which he always carries head foremost, and having risen a 

 few feet above the surface, shakes himself as a water-spaniel 

 would do, and directs his heavy and laborious course directly 

 for the land."* 



Abundant during the summer along the coasts of North 

 America, its presence is hailed by the fishermen with the 

 same feelings of satisfaction as the appearance of the gannet 

 upon our own shores. 



" True to the season, o'er our sea-beat shore 

 The sailing osprey high is seen to soar, 

 With broad unmoving wing, and, circling slow, 

 Marks each loose straggler in the deep below, 

 Sweeps down like lightning ! plunges with a roar ! 

 And bears his struggling victim to the shore." 



The most certain of all indices, the appearance of the 

 osprey is awaited with the utmost anxiety by the fishermen 

 of those coasts ere they commence the toil and labours 6f 

 their season. Protected by them as the other harbingers of 

 summer are upon the land, to molest one in the vicinity of a 

 fleet of fishermen might be attended with unpleasant conse- 

 quences. As an instance of the feelings with which they 

 hail its appearance, we give insertion to the following lines 

 by Wilson, the ornithologist of America, entitled u The 

 Fisherman's Hymn :" 



" The osprey sails above the sound ; 



The geese are gone ; the gulls are flying ; 

 The herring shoals swarm thick around; 



The nets are launched ; the boats are plying. 

 Yo, ho, my hearts ! let's seek the deep, 



Raise high the song, and cheerly wish her, 

 Still as the bending net we sweep, 



* God bless the fish-hawk and the fisher !' 



* Wilson. 



