THE FISHING EAGLE. 143 



THE FISHING EAGLE (FalcO JiaU(Setus). 



This is the species which is properly the sea or rather the 

 water eagle of Britain, as the other preys more on land than 

 in water, and when in water only in the shallows ; but the 

 name has been appropriated to the other, and the change of 

 it is not worth attempting. 



The fishing eagle partakes of the characters both of the 

 eagles and the falcons. It agrees with, or at least approaches 

 the eagles, in size and in the habit of stooping on its prey ; 

 and with the hawks in the form of the beak and structure of 

 the wings. But it has so many peculiar characters that, in a 

 strictly scientific point of view, it belongs to neither. 



The length is about two feet, and the extent of the wings 

 five feet and a half, so that it is larger winged in proportion 

 to its length than even the peregrine falcon ; and if the 

 weight of the birds be estimated as the cubes of the lengths, 

 the structures pretty nearly correspond the weight of the 

 fishing eagle being often as much as five pounds. 



This bird is often called the osprey, the fishing hawk, the 

 fishing buzzard ; and, from the white on the head and nape, 

 the bald buzzard. Its flight sometimes resembles that of the 

 buzzard, but that is almost the only character that they have 

 in common ; and the osprey can, when necessary, fly very 

 differently. No bird of prey is better furnished than the 

 fishing eagle. Its eye is remarkably keen, though it wants 

 the suborbital bones. Its beak is of the most powerful form, 

 with a partial tooth, very much hooked at the point, and of 

 that dark colour which belongs to all very powerful beaks. 

 The tarsi are also very short and strong, free from feathers, 

 but covered with scales ; the under parts remarkably tuber- 

 culated, and the claws, more especially that on the outer toe, 

 very large and strong j but all completely rounded on the 

 under sides, and adapted for clutching, not for tearing. 



