The Indian Ospket.- 



-BIRDS.- 



-The Whistling Eagle. 



253 



into a milder atmospbere as the approach of cold 

 weather threatens to deprive it of its food, either by 

 freezing up the waters, or preventing the fishes from 

 coming so freely to the surface. Its habits appear to 

 be everywhere much the same. Sailing gently along, at 

 a considerable height above the surface of the water, it 

 keeps a watchful eye upon the proceedings of the fishes 

 beneath it, and the moment one of them comes near 

 enough to the surfece to render its capture possible, the 

 %vhigs of the osprey are immediately closed, and it 

 descends, as described by Wilson, " like a perpendi- 

 cular torrent, plunging into the sea with a loud rush- 

 ing sound, and with the certainty of a rifle." Earoly 

 is the attempt made in vain ; in a few seconds the 

 osprey emerges again fi'om the water with his prey 

 struggling in bis talons, from which, however, there is 

 no escape, and shaking the water from his plumage he 

 sails slowly to the shore. In this way the osprey often 

 captures and bears to land a prey considerably exceed- 

 ing himself in weight, and the American ornithologists 

 describe the bird as exhibiting great ingenuity when 

 the wind is off the shore, in tacking about so as to avoid 

 flying directly against it. OccasioLally the osprey is 

 said to vary his fisb-diet by capturing water-fowl, but 

 this seems to occur but rarely. 



The nest is composed of an immense mass of rotten 

 sticks and similar materials ; it is generallj' placed in a 

 high tree, but sometimes upon rocks, ruined buildings, 

 or even on the ground. In this the female deposits 

 '.wo or three eggs, of a white colour, blotched with 

 reddish-brown at the large end. The female sits 

 almost continuously, the male supplying her -nnth food 

 during the periods of incubation, and after the young 

 birds are hatched, which is usually in the month of 

 June, the parents are indefatigable in feeding them, 

 until, or even after, they are able to provide for 

 themselves. 



THE INDIAN OSPREY {Pandion Ichtfiyaetus) is a 

 nearly-allied species, first discovered by Dr. Horsfield 

 in Java, where it frequents the borders of lakes and 

 large rivers. It is also found upon the continent of 

 Asia, as far north as Nepaul, and is kno-svn in Bengal 

 by the name of Ftsh-ti/rant. In its habits it closely 

 resembles the common osprey, and lives exclusively 

 upon fish, never, according to Dr. Horsfield, attacking 

 fowls or other animals. 



THE WHITE-HEADED OSPREY {Pandion leucoce- 

 phahis) is a gerierally- distributed, altliough not an 

 abundant species in Australia, where it follows precisely 

 the same mode of life as its European congener, from 

 which it is readily distinguished by having the whole 

 crown of the head white. The nest is composed of 

 sticks, some of them as thick as a man's wi'ist, and Hned 

 with sea-weeds. It is of enormous size — one measured 

 by Mr. Gilbert being fifteen feet in chcumference — and 

 is placed either upon a rock, or amongst the branches 

 of a high tree. The eggs are two in number, yellowish 

 or white, blotched with reddish or purplish browm. 



THE PONDICHERRY EAGLE [Huliastur Indus) is a 

 very common and conspicuous species in India, where 

 it is known to Em-opeans as the " Brahminy kite," the 

 former name being in allusion to its being regarded 

 with superstitious feelings by the Hindoos, and the 



latter to the resemblance of its habits to those of tlie 

 kites. It is said to be sacred to Vishnu, and one of 

 its Hindoo names signifies that it is " Shiva's kite ;" 

 another native name is the " AVasherman's kite," and a 

 third, which is interpreted the " Lucky-faced," is en- 

 dently m allusion to a superstition prevalent among the 

 Mahometans, that "when two armies are about to 

 engage, the appearance of one of those birds over either 

 party prognosticates victory to that side." — [Pearson.) 

 This bud is found not only on the peninsula of Hindos- 

 tan, but also in the regions to the east of this, and in 

 the islands of the Indian Arcliipelago. 



The Pondicherry eagle is a small species, measuring 

 scarcely twenty inches in length ; its plumage is chest- 

 nut-brown on the upper part, and white streaked with 

 bro-OTi on the lower. The beak is ash-coloured, with 

 a bluish cere, and the feet yellow, with black claws. The 

 beak, feet, and claws are much weaker than in the 

 ospreys ; the front of the tarsus is covered with large 

 hexagonal scales, and the upper surface of all the toes 

 is occupied by broad plate-like scales. 



Its flight is described as greatly resembling that of a 

 kite, except that the motion of the mngs is rather more 

 frequent. It is seen constantly sailing over the tanks, 

 rice-fields, and rivers, at a moderate height, often pass- 

 ing up and down the course of a river, ready to pounce 

 do\\'n in a moment at any unlucky fish that may make 

 its appearance at tlie smface of tlie water. It usually 

 snatches up its prey from tlie surface without immersing 

 itself, but occasionally it dips entirely under water, 

 when it seems to experience some difficulty in rising 

 again with its prey. Besides fishes, this bird feeds 

 upon many other inhabitants of the waters, such as 

 fi-ogs, insects, and Crustacea, and, according to some 

 observers, will also seize upon young birds. 



THE WHISTLING EAGLE {Haliastur sphenurus), or 

 Whistling Hawk of the Australian colonists, is an 

 abundant bird in all parts of New Holland, where it 

 inhabits alike the sea-coasts and the scrubs and swamps 

 of the interior. It obtains its name from its emitting a 

 shrill whistling cry when flying. Its plumage is of a 

 brown colour, pale beneath and dark on the back and 

 wings, the feathers of the latter parts being margined 

 with greyish white ; the bill and cere are greyish, and 

 the feet bluish, with black claws. The tail is long and 

 wedge-shaped, and the whole length of the bird is about 

 two feet. 



The Whistling eagle feeds upon carrion, small quad- 

 rupeds, birds, reptiles, insects, and fish, but does not 

 appear to display any of the energy which characterizes 

 the proceedings of some of the preceding species, in its 

 pursuit of the last-mentioned prey. It is said by Mr. 

 Gould to be destructive in the poultry yards of the 

 colonists; but, on the other liand, it repays much of the 

 injury thus done by destroyuig vast numbers of cater- 

 pillars, which frequently descend in armies upon the 

 cultivated lands, and threaten to carry desolation with 

 them. The birds are generally seen in pairs ; their 

 nest is constructed of sticks and fibrous roots, usually 

 in the branches of a tall tree ; and in this the female 

 lays one or two eggs, of a bluish-white colour, with 

 a slight tinge of green, upon which a few brownish 

 markings are obscurely perceptible. 



