OWLS. 149 



their fall by the osprey, or borne off by other rapacious 

 birds. 



As a lake or river to fish in is the chief attraction for the 

 osprey, the nest is chosen where it may be the most con- 

 venient for that. If the fishing is in a mountain lake, or a 

 river that has worn a channel deep into the strata, the nest is 

 placed in the rocks, but always as near the water as may suit 

 the purpose of concealment. If the fishing place is a lake in 

 the moors, or a river that runs slowly between fenny flats, 

 then the nest is concealed in the reeds ; and if the water pass 

 through, or be situated among trees, the nest is constructed 

 in one of these. In all situations it is a rude fabric of sticks, 

 and rather a sort of platform than a hollow nest. The eggs, 

 which are yellowish-white with brown spots, are understood 

 never to exceed four. 



It has been already hinted that the osprey is more fre- 

 quently observed in the southern than the northern parts of 

 the country. It is also subject to winter migration, more 

 especially in those places where the waters are liable to be 

 frozen over, at which times it of course cannot fish. On 

 these occasions, it sometimes betakes itself to the sea; but it 

 more frequently passes into warmer latitudes, as the cold 

 keeps down even the sea fish to a greater depth than that at 

 which they swim in warm weather. Of course it is more a 

 migrant on the continent of Europe than with us : as the 

 summer is warmer, and the winter colder, it ranges over a 

 much greater range of latitude, especially in the central and 

 eastern parts. 







NOCTURNAL BIRDS OF PREY OWLS (Strix). 



Some of the predatory birds of which short notices have 

 been already given, seek their prey in different degrees of 

 light. The common buzzard ; for instance, watches in the 

 twilight shade of thick trees, and feeds, in part, on those 



