42 HABITS OF THE OSPEEY. 



the Osprey still holds its own, and breeds year after year on the same spot, generally 

 choosing the summit of an old ruined building or the top of a large tree for that purpose. 

 The nest is a very large one, compo<sed almost wholly of sticks, and contains two or three 

 whitish eggs, largely blotched with reddish brown, the dark patches being collected towards 

 the large end of the egg. As is the case with the Eagles, the Osprey is monogamous ; but 

 on the death of either of the pair, the survivor soon finds another mate, and is straightway 

 consoled by a new alliance. From all accounts it is an affectionate and domestic bird, 

 paying the greatest attention to its mate and home, and displaying a constancy which is 

 not to be surpassed by that of the turtle-dove, so celebrated for matrimonial felicity. 



Wilson, in his well-known w^ork on the birds of America, gives a very interesting 

 account of the proceedings of a pair of Ospreys. The female had unfortunately lost one 

 of her legs, and was in consequence disabled from catching fish. Her mate, however, 

 redoubled his efforts on her behalf, and, leaving her in the nest, used to set himself to 

 work with such perseverance that he kept the nest well supplied with food by his sole 

 endeavours, so that his mate never was obliged to leave her charge in search of sustenance. 

 Even after the young had been fledged, this model husband continued his efforts, and 

 relieved his wife of the necessity for hunting. 



The flight of the Osprey is peculiarly easy and elegant, as might be expected from a 

 bird the length of whose body is only twenty-two inches, and the expanse of wing nearly 

 five feet and a half. Living almost wholly on fish, the Osprey sails in wide undulating 

 circles, hovering over the water and intently watching for its prey. No sooner does a 

 fish come into view than the Osprey shoots through the air like a meteor, descends upon 

 the luckless fish with such force that it drives a shower of spray in every direction, and 

 soon emerging, flies away to its nest, bearing its prey in its g]'asp. In order to enable it to 

 seize and retain so slippeiy a creature as a fish, the claws of the Osprey are long, curved, 

 and very sharp, the soles of the feet are rough, and the outer toe is capable of great 

 versatility. When the bird has settled upon its nest, or iipon any spot where it intends to 

 eat its prey, it does not relinquish its hold, but, as if fearful that the fish should escape, 

 continues its grasp, and daintily picks away the flesh from between its toes. 



Sometimes in making its swoop it arrests itself for a second or two, as if to watch some 

 change of position on the part of its intended prey. 



The singular beauty of the Osprey's flight attracted the attention of M. de Quatrefages, 

 who remarked, that the bird was able with outstretched and immovable wings, not only to 

 withstand the power of a " squall " that would have flung a man to the ground, but even 

 to work its way against the wind. How this feat was performed he confesses to be a 

 mystery to him, and that the so-called scientific theories of " acquired velocity" or " tremu- 

 lous movement " of the wings could not at all account for the phenomenon which he 

 observed. 



When unmolested by human foes, the Osprey is a bold bird, as may be seen from the 

 following little anecdote, related by Mr. D'Ewes in his "Sporting in both Hemispheres." " I 

 observed an Osprey, or fishing Eagle, hovering about the river some distance down stream, 

 as if he were regarding my movements with much curiosity. Having caught a small 

 barbel, perhaps a little less than a pound in weight, and extricated the hook with some 

 difficulty, something induced me to throw him back again, as not worth taking, which I 

 did with a sharp jerk, sending him some distance into the middle of the stream. In the 

 space of a few moments, and a hundred yards downwards, I saw the Osprey make a sudden 

 swoop, a dive, and soar aloft with the fish in his mouth — no doubt my identical barbel, 

 wdiich, puzzled with his sudden change of circumstances, and not having regained vigour 

 and instinct sufficient to seek his usual haunts, had floated down stream, and became an 

 easy victim to his destroyer." 



In Southern America it is very common, and has been well described by Wilson, 

 Audubon, and other well-known writers, to whom we can but refer for the present. The 

 bird is held in great favour, and protected by common consent, so that any one who shot 

 a fish-hawk would draw down upon himself the anger of the person who constituted him- 

 self its protector. The bird is in the habit of building its nest upon the roofs of houses, 

 and is thought to bring good luck to the household which it selects as its protectors. 



