ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



ly 



iIk- tlay dills liaok ..I tlir Iimusc, a liiin.lRd ..r' 

 moix- bank swallows inaki.: tiii-ir imiiie. In thac 

 days over fifty sjiccics ol' birds were seen in 

 numbers. !n a stroll tlirougli a liigh grass mea- 

 dow we eaiiie across a laniily cif wild rabbits, 

 basking at tin- nioutli of tliiir burn.w, latli pair 

 oft-ars pruked up but s.rfearless tbat tin- little 



A.M> NEsr. 



tellows show no alarm at being lifted in the 

 hand. l''arthcr on, from under our \ery feet, a 

 brown hen jiheasant dies up, anil .goes booming 

 away for a few yards. I)isre,garding her attempts 

 to make us lollnu, we seareli carefully around, 

 and at last sp\ a dozen tin\' forms crouching 

 close to tin- rciUgli ground — perfect copies in 

 miniature of the mother. .'so obedient are thev 

 to her warning calls that wIrii taken up tlie\ 

 move not a muscle, utter not a sound. Tossi'd 

 into the air, the\ llutter a short distance and at 

 the old bird's cluck, drop like stones into the 

 ,grass. There are ])robably two hundred os]>re\'s 

 nests on this island, as man\ as twehi- or tllteeti 

 being visible from one spot. 



The individuality of each pair ol birds is 

 strongly marked by the position ami composition 

 of its nest. They are built, as a rule, in the tops of 

 trees, but, in many instances, fresli material 

 having been addetl year after year, the tree has 

 become top-heavy and has fallen. The wonder- 

 ful preference which these birds show for a site 

 once selected leads them, not infrequently, to 

 utilize the lalleti wreck of their home as a basis 

 for subsequent additions. 



The most remarkable change in the habits 

 wdiich the fish-hawks exhibit, on this islanti, is 

 shown by the beach nests — hu.ge. Hat-topped 

 collections of sea-weed, drift-wood and other 

 materials built on the pebbles along the shore. 



just abo\e high water mark. Tliiid< of walking 

 along the beacli anil occasionally reaching out 

 one's hand to examine and admire a trio ol 

 beautiful chocolate-s])otted e,ggs, or the hel]>less 

 little drab-colored ospreys, or even full-Hedged 

 voung birds ! 



These fish-hawks which build on the beach are 

 sometimes harassed by the terns or sea-swallows 

 whose e,ggs and young lie among the ]>ebbles in 

 all directions, 'i'he baby terns take (piitc long 

 excursions over the sand whiili they so niuih 

 resemble, and when thiir wanderings lead them 

 too near the ospreys' nests, the intentions of the 

 hawks returning with Hsh are misconstrued and 

 the poor fish-haw ks liave to dodge and crouch as 

 the mother terns swoop at their heads. 



When \iiung ospreys hatch tiny arc \ery dil- 

 lerent in colour and a])]jearaiKe from the brown 

 .mil white older birds. P..t-bellied and blind, 

 ihev tumble and roll about helplessly enough. 

 I'hev are covered with a elay-coloured down and 

 lia\i- a blaik streak ruiitiitig tlirough their eyes. 

 Whetlur this peculiar coloration hif.ts of ances- 

 tral markings we cannot say, but the little 

 lellows have one character which bids us look 

 back many thousands of years for its exjjlanation. 

 F.acli tiny thumb lias a distinct and jierfect claw 

 at the tip, very small but probably of some use 

 to the little bird in scrambling about the nest — 

 a true reptilian \estige. ( )spreys of this tender 



YOUNG OSPREVS. 

 Gardiner's Island. 



age are fed on partli- digested fish jirovided by 

 their parents, but later wliole fish are brought 

 and torn to pieces in tlie nest. 



The young hawks, whicii, by the by, remain 

 a month in the nest, are wonderfully obedient. 

 In the midst of rei)elling a supposed attack from 

 my hand, with feathers ruffleil threateningly and 

 striking with beak and claws, they instantly drop 



