^^^ The Zoologist — October, 1866. 



Cloys, that is, " chokes " or " clogs up." Formerly it was often 

 written " accloyes," e. g., 



"And with uncomely weedes the gentle wave accloyes," 



Spenseb's Faerie Queene, Book ii. Canto 7. 



And 



" The mouldie mosse which thee accloyeth." 



Spenser's Shepheard's Calendar, February, 135. 



The great age of the eagle is beautifully alluded to in the Psalms, 

 where it is said of the righteous man that " his youth shall be renewed 

 like the eagle's." " Eagles" says Pennant, " are remarkable for their 

 longevity. A golden eagle which had been nine years in the posses- 

 sion of Mr. Owen Holland, of Conway, lived thirty-two years with the 

 gentleman who made him a present of it : but what its age was when 

 the latter received it from Ireland is unknown." 



Another that died at Vienna was stated to have lived in confinement 

 one hundred and four years. But even the eagle may be " outlived." 

 Our poet says : 



" Will these moss'd trees 

 That have outlived the eagle, page thy heels, 

 And skip when thou poinl'>.t out." 



Timon of At/tens, Act ii. Scene 3. 



The old text has " moyst " trees. The emendation, however, 

 which was made by Hanmer, is strengthened by the line in ' As you 

 like it,' Act iv. Scene 3. 



" Under an oak whose boughs were moss'd with age." 



OspEEY. Falco haliceetus. 



The osprey feeds almost exclusively on fish, and it is marvellous to 

 see the easy and graceful way in which it captures this slippery 

 prey. 



" When they see a fish, they immediately settle in the air — lower 

 their flight, and settle again — then strike down like a dart. They 

 always seize their prey with their claws, the outer toes of which turn 

 round a considerable way, which gives them a larger and firmer 

 grasp."* The structure of the osprey is thus wonderfully adapted to 

 its habits ; and we read 



Colquhoun's ' Moor and Loch,' p. 276. 



